Splice
by giraffelove92
Summary: Sequel to "Splash." Elena faces the consequences of her actions; and learns what it truly means to be split down the middle. "Tread carefully, Elena - now that you are caught between two Originals, I think you will find it a precarious and dangerous place to be. Don't be fooled, love; you can't trust any of us." Kol/Elena/Elijah. Smut in later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**This is my attempt at a sequel to "Splash." I felt like there was some potential for a story here. Things get a little complicated between Elijah, Elena and Kol. I won't give anything away yet…but I have a couple of original ideas to bring to the table, without things getting outlandish. But you'll just have to bear with me and see for yourself!**

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"_You had sex with him?"_

"_Wait – you mean to tell me that you snuck away from the ball to fuck an Original in the parlor?"_

"_You did what?"_

"_Why did you have to go and screw things up?"_

"_We could have killed them tonight. They would be gone for good, and we would be free."_

"_Why?"_

"_What is your fucking problem?!" _

"_There's blood in your hair…"_

"_Of all the vampires you could choose to screw around with, you picked him? He's the worst one, Elena! Worse than Klaus! He has no conscience! No amount of sex appeal can make a psychotic homicidal Original worth it. It's nonsensical, Elena."_

"_You let him feed from you."_

"_He could have killed you, Elena!"_

"_Why the hell did you stop him from drinking the damn champagne? Good riddance, if you ask me."_

"_I just can't believe you slept with him…"_

"_Did he compel you? That must be it. I'll snap his scrawny little neck."_

"_What were you thinking? Oh, that's right, you weren't. You never do."_

"_He –"_

"–_why –"_

"–_sex –"_

"–_slept with –"_

"–_he's monstrous –"_

"–_always such a blithering idiot –" _

"–_Kol –"_

"–_how –"_

"–_disgust me…"_

"–_in the parlor?"_

"–_been rid of them for good –"_

"–_damn Originals –"_

"–_fucking unbelievable, Elena!"_

"–_ruined everything –"_

"_STOP IT!" _

Elena's head pounded. Tears leaked from her eyes, leaving streaks of mascara down her cheeks; she could taste their saltiness on her tongue.

"Just stop it," she whispered. "Please." She stared at a fissure on her kitchen counter, unable to meet the accusing eyes of her friends and family.

Damon growled. "Stop what, Elena?" he snarled. "Stop yelling at you? Stop being angry? Have we hurt your precious feelings? You not only stopped a plan in motion that would have rid Mystic Falls of its biggest problem, you had to go and _fuck_ said problem – since when have you had a thing for maniacal vampires? This is news to me. Maybe if I'd killed more people, you would have fucked me instead."

Her head snapped up, suddenly angry eyes narrowed on his striking blue ones. _"You,"_ she said scathingly, "have _NO RIGHT_ to judge me. No right."

"And _you,"_ he replied hotly, grabbing her arm in a bruising grip, "are no longer allowed to make decisions."

"Hey!" Jeremy shouted, stepping forward and flinging Damon's arm away. "That's my sister you're manhandling, you ass. I don't care what she's done – hands _off."_

The elder Salvatore snarled. "Stay out of it, Jeremy."

"Not a chance! I said back the fuck off!"

"And I said get out of the fucking way, Gilbert!"

What happened next occurred too fast to pin it down, but at the same time she somehow watched it unfold in slow motion; completely aware of what the result would be, but helpless to stop the series of events that led up to it.

Damon jabbed a finger at Jeremy's chest, the younger Gilbert sibling angrily shoved the vampire back, and then, pale blue eyes spitting fire, the elder Salvatore brother retaliated by punching her brother squarely in the face. She cried out as blood spurted from Jeremy's nose and lip, splattering onto the crisp white shirt of Damon's tuxedo.

She was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time; her little brother stumbled backwards, slamming into the refrigerator and stepping on the hem of her ball gown. Losing her balance she lurched sideways, screaming as she tripped and fell.

She tried to catch herself, but she was twisted so awkwardly that all her hand found was empty air. Searing pain shot through her head and neck as the side of her cranium hit the corner of the kitchen island with a sickening _crack._ She keenly felt her skin split open and her skull crunch as the granite tore through her parietal lobe. The pain was crippling.

She did not need to see the warm liquid spilling down her head and neck to know it was blood. And she did not need to feel the rift in her head to know that she was going to die.

Through blurred eyes she saw her friends' horrified expressions: Caroline, Alaric, Bonnie, Matt. She vaguely heard Jeremy's anguished cry, felt Damon's hands cradle her irreparably damaged head. She tried to speak, but all that came out was a choked sob.

The last thing she remembered seeing was Stefan's blank face and dead eyes.

Then the world went black.

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**Dun dun dun…**

**Short chapter, I know, but it functions more like an introduction.**

**I'll update tomorrow – next chapter will feature our favorite Originals. Which are, well…all of them. Gotta love those guys; bet they make your family look functional, don't they?**

**Btw, I'll also continue to post random one-shots while I'm working on this one…my ADD at work. Once again, I'm open to suggestions.**

**Anyway, I know I haven't given you much to review with this, but I hope I've piqued your interest enough that you will keep reading. Stay tuned! :)**

**xoxoxo**


	2. Chapter 2

**JMHUW: the reaction from all the Originals will be…interesting. All of them are so different; it's really fun to play around with their characters. There will be some swift retaliation from Klaus to Damon – but I like Damon (as annoying as he is) too much to let anything truly terrible happen to him. It will be a surprising interaction all around; I'll cover that in chapter 3.**

**Shuuwai: hold that thought on your first statement…you might be onto something there. You'll just have to wait and find out…mwahahaha. And I haven't watched yesterday's TVD yet, I have it recorded – soo excited to hear that Kol made an appearance!**

**Electricsymphony: once again, I love you. I think we may be fanfiction soul mates (although siberia21, AuroraSpace and LysCat are in the running too – is it possible to have four soul mates?) and I love all of your reviews. No pressure on the reviews for "Propositions" – economics **_**suck**_**. And your potential solution sounds like a good plan…LOL**

**Siberia21: I have never been into love triangles of any sort, really…so this is new for me, too. And it won't be so much of a love triangle as it will be a power struggle. So I hope it will be interesting for you and that you enjoy it. And if you decide you don't like it, at least you will be able to say you read something outside the box! Regardless of your opinion of it, positive or negative, please keep sharing your thoughts with me. I always look forward to your reviews! :)**

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_2:40 A.M._

The clock on his beside table glared at him in the darkness of his bedroom. Sighing in discontent, he shifted on his bed.

As tired as he was, Elijah knew he would not sleep tonight.

It would make sense for him to be upset about his mother's betrayal, about Finn acting as her accomplice in the plot to have his entire family killed. Normally he would be devastated and angry and hurt. But no, something else made him restless; something he'd not felt in a long time. He had not been able to put a finger on it at first, so unfamiliar was the feeling, but soon he had come to a troubling revelation.

Jealousy. Envy. They wrapped themselves around his heart and insidiously infiltrated his mind, turning his thoughts into ferocious sentiments that were uncharacteristic of his general nature. Tendrils of covetousness pushed through cracks in his hard shell like ivy, taking root and growing, degrading and tearing away at the walls of impeccable control he'd perfected over the centuries.

His brother had taken the very thing he wanted most, but had never allowed himself to have.

He had never resented his sense of honor as much as he did right now. Anger bubbled up inside his chest – some directed at his youngest brother, but most directed at himself. He had been a fool; and now it was too late.

This was the third doppelganger he'd let slip through his fingers.

"_What have you done?" _

_It was a whisper, but Rebekah, standing at his side, shifted uncomfortably, hearing the strain in his voice. All of his siblings knew how dangerous he could be when he was upset about something. He did not react often – to anything, really – but when he did it was often deadly for all parties involved._

_Kol cocked his head at his eldest brother, his expression an infuriating mixture of nonchalance and amusement. His youngest brother, who looked so much like him, and who he secretly (and probably foolishly) had a special place for in his heart, was the only one of his siblings that ever truly dared to challenge him. And Elijah was not a fool; Kol was extremely dangerous, made more so by his unpredictable and violent nature. It was wise to be wary of him._

_But perhaps the time had come for him to learn his place._

_Despite his self-assured stance, there was a flash of discomfort in Kol's brown eyes; he was afraid that he had perhaps pushed the elder Mikaelson sibling too far this time. Feigning confidence in the face of his brother's displeasure, Kol smirked._

"_Why, whatever do you mean, brother?" he asked innocently, eyes twinkling with mirth._

_Elijah growled low in his chest, a warning that had his younger brother taking a small step back, poised defensively. _

_Klaus chose this moment to step up to their little group, standing next to Elijah and glaring at Kol. "If you did anything to my doppelganger, Kol, I'll dagger you – and this time I'll leave it in."_

_Kol snarled at the hybrid. "Why don't we take this outside, Klaus? Stop hiding behind your stupid daggers like a coward. We can work this out, mano a mano." He smirked. "But you won't, will you? You're weak, Niklaus."_

_Klaus stepped forward, his eyes glowing yellow, and Elijah raised an arm in warning, the back of his hand gently pressed against his half-brother's chest. Klaus stiffened._

"_Remember that we are in public," he said quietly. "Try not to behave like children. You'll embarrass yourselves in front of our guests." He met his youngest brother's gaze, his eyes cold. "I will ask you again, Kol: what have you done?"_

_Rebekah spoke up behind them, snorting. "Well I think that's obvious, judging by the way they both smell." She sniffed disdainfully. "You're disgusting, Kol."_

_Kol grinned. "We just had a bit of fun, that's all. Nothing she wasn't willing to give, sister. She needed a little…stress relief," he said slyly, his voice smooth like silk._

_Elijah stiffened visibly. "We'll talk about this later." He stepped up to Kol, and grasped his hand in what looked like an affectionate handshake between brothers. Kol hissed in pain when he squeezed, crushing the bones in his younger brother's hand. He leaned in close to his ear._

"_You touch her again," he whispered threateningly, "I'll kill you." _

_Patting him on the shoulder, he stepped past him to quickly intercept the elder Salvatore, who was making a beeline for Kol with murder in his pale blue eyes._

_He gripped the dark-haired vampire's shoulder, effectively stopping him in his tracks. "I would encourage you to think before you act, Mr. Salvatore," he murmured warningly. "You seek justice, but you march to your death. My brother would not hesitate to dispatch you in front of our guests, I can assure you."_

_Damon sneered. "Get out of the way, Elijah."_

"_Kol will be…taken care of," the Original returned lowly. "Nothing will be accomplished by you causing a scene. Leave now, quietly, and take Elena and the rest of your friends home." He paused, tightening his hold on Damon's shoulder. "The alternative is that I remove you from my house myself; and you will not find it pleasant. Have I made myself clear?"_

_The Salvatore brother stiffened, his eyes going from hot to cold in an instant. "Perfectly." He walked away, and Elijah growled as he saw Damon grab Elena's wrist roughly and say, "We're going home."_

_But there was nothing he could do, now. It was not his place to interfere on Elena's behalf. Plus, he respected her enough to know that she could take care of herself. The girl had an iron will; the Salvatores and her friends were fools for underestimating her._

_He turned as Kol sidled up next to him, staring hungrily at the doppelganger as she left with her friends. Elijah glared at him with eyes like ice._

_Kol made a show of inspecting his fingernails. "You can whip me later, Elijah," he drawled, snorting sardonically. "Putting the issue of the doppelganger aside until later, I must speak with you about something else." His brother swallowed, suddenly uncomfortable about something. "It's about Mother…"_

Elijah sighed. The tension in his heart tightened uncomfortably. He sat up, feeling peculiar. His stomach rolled; but vampires did not get nauseated. He frowned. His ears started to ring, like he'd been in an explosion. He covered them with his hands, pressure building up in his head.

Then he heard it, like an echo in his brain: the soft cries of desperation.

He was out of bed like a flash, dressed only in sweatpants and a thin white undershirt but unconcerned with his state of undress. He felt sick. He ran through his wing of the house, down the stairs, through the ballroom and living room, past the door to the dining room, and into the industrial-sized kitchen they used when hosting big events.

The first thing he saw was a pair of feet – bare and covered in dirt and grass, toenails painted a shade of shimmering crimson that made the toes look like they were bleeding. As he cautiously rounded the kitchen island, he froze in shock, staring spellbound at the scene before him.

It was quite possibly the most tragic thing he had ever seen. Simply because it was _her_ – and she wasn't supposed to be like this. She was never supposed to be like this.

She still wore her ball gown, the bottom of which was tattered and soiled with mud. Blood matted her hair and had dried down the side of her neck. Her skin was pale and grimy with dirt, and the remnants of her eye makeup streaked her face as tears leaked continuously from her eyes.

Blood bags littered the floor around her; he counted five, all sucked dry. Her lips were stained red. Her chin quivered when she saw him standing there, and she drew her knees up to her chest and cried.

Elena Gilbert had transitioned.

He crouched down in front of her, moving slowly and keeping his distance so as not to startle her. No doubt her senses were going haywire, and it was obvious that her emotions were all over the place.

"Elena."

She met his eyes and let out a choked sob, immediately looking away in shame and squeezing her eyes shut, desperately trying to get the tears to stop.

"I…I didn't know where else to go."

"You did the right thing by coming here, Elena," he said gently, reassuring her. Reaching forward, he grabbed her underneath the arms and lifted her effortlessly to sit on the metal countertop. Her skirt billowed around her. She clutched his shoulders, sniffing.

He smoothed back the hair at her temples. The tension in his stomach abated, and the ringing in his ears came to an abrupt stop.

"Tell me what happened."

"It was an accident," she sobbed, a fresh wave of tears spilling from her eyes. "They didn't mean for it to happen. It's my fault – if I hadn't done what I did with Kol…" She trailed off. "They were all just so angry, and then there was a fight, and I got knocked down and…and I hit my head on the counter. I died, Elijah. I'm dead. I'm _dead."_ She leaned her head into the crook of his neck and wailed.

He held her head tenderly against his shoulder, waiting until her tears abated a little bit before speaking again.

"What happened next?" he asked, frowning. "Why aren't you home with your friends and family?"

"When I woke up it was so…overwhelming. They just wouldn't _shut up."_ She closed her eyes, her eyelashes fluttering delicately against his skin. "I couldn't handle it. I couldn't handle them. So I…I left. I ran. And I didn't realize where I was going until I was standing on your back terrace. I don't want to go back there, Elijah!"

"It's fine," he soothed. "You're safe here. You can stay for as long as you want."

"Elijah?"

He turned. His sister stood at the bottom of the stairs, peering at him.

"What's going on?" she asked blearily. "Is that…is that _Elena?"_ Her voice turned sharp with incredulity.

Her interrogation had Elena crying again, whining and pressing her face into his shirt. He shushed her and pulled her down off the counter, steadying her on her feet.

"Rebekah, will you take Elena up to my quarters and run her a bath?" He did not give her a chance to speak, noticing her crossed arms and the beginnings of a pout. "I know how you feel about her, but I am asking you as a favor…to me. And I sense we will not be alone for long – it seems our brothers have heard the commotion. Please, sister."

She huffed. "Fine." She took Elena's hand and the doppelganger followed meekly, stumbling over her skirts. "But only because I love you – and because I need an excuse to not be here when Nik finds out his blood bag has become useless, and he will forever be alone, and blah blah blah…I'll leave you to deal with him, brother."

Like that she and Elena were out of the room, headed back towards his wing of the house. As soon as the new vampire was out of his sight he felt the previous anxiety set back in, setting his teeth on edge.

He turned as two sets of footsteps padded down the stairs; he knew Klaus wore slippers and Kol went barefoot. He met his younger brothers in the living room, folding his hands.

"What's going on down here?" Klaus asked, his robe hanging open casually.

"We heard some commotion, thought we'd see what the fuss was all about," Kol chirped. He wore nothing but a pair of plaid pajama pants slung low on his hips.

Elijah sighed. He braced himself.

"There's been a slight…complication."

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Elena stood entranced, staring at her reflection in the mirror. Dead eyes stared back at her.

Everything was heightened. Every little noise, every material sliding across her skin, every shadow that she imagined jumping from the corners. She could not move without setting one of her senses off. It was maddening.

She watched the steam that rose from the bathtub in fascination, let the sound of the tap flood her ears. The smell pervading the bathroom was familiar to her, strangely comforting amidst the chaos of her life; bergamot, sandalwood, musk, citrus. It eased her mind, loosened the tense muscles in her body.

The lights of the bathroom were too bright, too harsh on her new vampire eyes; Rebekah, unusually silent, seemed to realize this, and after whooshing out of the room to grab some candles she lit them, filling the space with soft, flickering light.

"There," the blonde said as she turned the tap off, the sudden lack of noise making Elena's eardrums ring. "Now about this dress of yours…I think it's beyond salvageable." She came to stand behind Elena, peering curiously at the safety pins holding the gown together in the back. "My brother's handiwork, I presume?"

Elena gulped. "Kol. Yes."

The Original sister snorted. "Well yes, when I said 'brother' I was referring, of course, to Kol. You hardly snuck off to the parlor to fuck Elijah, now did you? Too indecent," she tutted.

Elena felt tears of shame leak from her eyes. "No, I suppose that's not something he would do, is it?" She laughed nervously.

Rebekah smirked, removing the pins one by one until the dress dropped to the floor. "Maybe for you."

The thought made Elena swallow uncomfortably. A thrill ran up her spine. Since she'd met him, her mind had come up with countless torrid fantasies of the eldest Mikaelson; ones in which he shed his proper exterior and did less than honorable things with her body. But she had never let them amount to much. Now her thoughts were racing again, pulling up images that would have had her blushing if she were still human.

If only it had been Elijah, not Kol, in the parlor, perhaps things would have been different. She felt safe with him; physically and emotionally, she felt like she could be herself. That had not changed with her vampirism – when she'd seen him in the kitchen earlier, relief had flooded her racing mind. When he'd held her, she'd felt the tension ebb from her body; she felt like she belonged there – with him.

But the fact remained: sleeping with any Original was heinous in the eyes of her friends, and the end result would have been the same – she would have been caught in the crossfire of her own indiscretion and died with vampire blood in her system.

Her hand was shaking as Rebekah took it and helped her into the bath. The water was scalding – on one hand she felt like the skin was being flayed from her bones, and on the other she felt like the searing heat was seeping through her entire body, warming her undead heart.

She was crying again, this time for no particular reason, just that her body demanded it. Blood from her hair tinged the water pink, and dirt lifted from her skin to settle at the bottom of the tub.

"You're a mess, aren't you?" Rebekah asked sarcastically. When Elena broke the cap of the shampoo with her newfound strength, she rolled her eyes and snatched the bottle from her, dumping it into the brunette's palm.

"Yes," she answered simply. Her voice was hoarse – it sounded strange to her own ears. "I don't…I can't…" She trailed off, her eyes welling with a fresh wave of tears. Her chin quivered.

"Alright, alright – don't hurt yourself," Rebekah sighed. "Come on then: try to focus on cleaning yourself up. You have to give your attention to one thing at a time, at first, throw your whole energy into it; otherwise you'll end up all over the place. Just breathe a little, Elena. It's not the end of the world."

Elena sunk further down into the water, staring at the ripples she made. "Why are you being so nice to me?" she asked softly.

Rebekah hummed. "Well, I love Elijah, and would do almost anything for him – and I feel bad that he's now having to deal with my other brothers…both of whom can be a handful. I've also been given to understand that you are responsible for saving the lives of my siblings and me last night, and so I have to give credit where it's due. And," she continued, sitting on the edge of the tub and swirling her fingers in the water absentmindedly, "you're simply pitiful. I would have to be a complete raging bitch to treat you poorly right at this moment – although it won't last long, believe me. I still hate you for stabbing me in the back. And…" she trailed off.

"And?"

Her blue eyes, when they met Elena's, were surprisingly tender and very melancholy, full of a deep and utter sadness that had built up over a thousand years of heartbreak.

"And even I can see you weren't meant for this life," she finished softly. "It's not right for you. And it's unfair that it was forced upon you when you so desperately wanted a normal life."

"You wanted a normal life," Elena croaked, leaning her head back against the tub. "It was forced upon you, too. You never had a choice."

"No," the youngest Original agreed slowly. "No, I didn't."

Silence reigned for a moment, the sound of the water swirling underneath Rebekah's hand the only noise filling Elena's ears; it was soothing. She closed her eyes, staring at the dark space behind her eyelids.

"I'm sorry about your mom."

Rebekah swallowed, her eyes downcast.

"Me, too." The blonde looked back up at her, giving her a small, wry smile that was reassuring nonetheless. "I know it seems bad right now, Elena. But things will get better.

"I think you're going to be just fine."

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Kol narrowly avoided a polished table leg that had been fashioned into a makeshift stake that was hurled his way. While normally he would feel angry, or amused, at Niklaus's reaction, all he could manage now was sadness.

Sadness – because his half-brother felt so utterly alone. While Kol wished their family could be enough for Klaus, he understood that it never would be; he would forever feel like the outcast, the bastard son, the only one of his kind to walk the earth for centuries to come. Any chance he'd had of creating more hybrids had died when Elena Gilbert's head had hit that counter.

"Niklaus!"

It was only when Elijah spoke that the hybrid ceased trashing the room. His eldest brother's voice had taken on that tone: the tone that he rarely used, but that had everyone, including his almighty hybrid brother, frozen and wary. It was the tone he had used earlier tonight when he threatened Kol – when his stomach had twisted into knots and his heart had dropped through the floor. The fear and respect that Elijah commanded with just a few words said with this particular inflection was tremendous. It was a cold shiver that crept up one's spine to wrap tightly around one's throat. Those times were, perhaps, the only moments Kol had ever felt truly afraid.

Though Klaus was not particularly wise, and balked at following others' orders, he was not so much a fool that he did not heed his brother's command. Elijah, despite his blasted honor, knew how to paint a room red with the best of them. While he did not take pleasure in causing other people pain as Kol did, he would not hesitate to do what was necessary to get his point across. And while neither Kol nor Klaus could die by his hand, they could certainly suffer by it. Kol stood silently, his jaw clenched, unwilling to call attention to himself.

When it came down to it, self-preservation trumped pride every time.

Klaus's eyes went from glowing yellow to bluish-teal, unshed tears shining in his gaze and fury rolling off of him in waves. He was breathing heavily through his nose, nostrils flaring and chest heaving. The emotion there was so raw; so fierce.

The hybrid stood for a moment, looking at Elijah, and then his eyes slid angrily over to Kol one last time before he turned on his heel and stalked silently up the stairs from which he came.

Kol smirked; the smirk slid from his face the moment Elijah turned his cool brown gaze on him. He swallowed. Those eyes were frigid.

"He'll do something stupid," Kol said, gesturing at the place where Klaus stood moments ago.

"Yes," Elijah replied tiredly. "I know."

Kol scuffed at the carpet with his foot. "I didn't mean for her to turn, brother. I'm actually _fond_ of the little doppelganger – she amuses me, at least – and I knew she didn't want that. You _know_ I didn't do this on purpose."

Elijah crossed his heavily muscled arms, frowning. "I know you didn't turn her on purpose," he replied, his voice soft and stern. "I also know that you lured an innocent girl into a secluded room and proceeded to seduce her, feed from her, and give her your blood."

"She's hardly innocent," he scoffed.

Elijah stiffened imperceptibly. "Regardless of her actions and reactions towards you, the fact remains that you are responsible for what happened in that room. I don't care if she stripped naked in front of you and paraded around the parlor – you should have let her be. She's just a girl, Kol. You may be callous and cruel, but you know better than that."

Elijah was right, of course – Elijah was always right, damn him – but Kol did not like admitting fault, and hated being chastised like a child, so he sneered.

"A _girl,_ Elijah?" he said mockingly. "If she's 'just a girl,' as you so wisely put it, then _you_ should be the one to know better. Only a blind man could miss the way you look at her.

"You can preach honor all you want, but face it: you would give anything to bend that _girl_ over the nearest available surface."

Suddenly he was up against the wall, and he couldn't breathe. Elijah was squeezing his throat, breaking all the bones in his neck and crushing his esophagus to pulp. Spots danced before his vision.

Apparently, he'd hit a little too close to home.

"My feelings for Elena are none of your business; you would do well to remember that," Elijah said, in a too calm, deadly tone that had terror clenching around his heart. "You may hold those feelings over my head all you like, but nothing changes the fact that _you_ were the catalyst for tonight's events, and the consequences as a result. _You_ are the reason Elena became a vampire, and you and you alone are responsible for her fate. So, brother," he spat, fixing his cold, furious eyes on Kol's, "you will not walk away from this. You'll deal with it," he threatened, throwing Kol to the ground, "or I'll deal with you."

Kol wheezed, clutching at his destroyed throat, straightening his neck with a _pop_ as it knit itself back together again. He looked up, but he was alone.

He should have known better than to goad his brother into anger. He'd been foolish; he was glad he'd gotten away with only a fraction of what Elijah could have done to him. Because while they were matched in strength, Elijah's passion for the girl far outstripped anything Kol had to offer, and it made him ten times as fierce. A testament to his brother's control, even in the face of chaos, that he left Kol with only a bruised windpipe and wounded pride.

Elijah's feelings for the girl were more intense than Kol had realized. His own feelings for the spunky little doppelganger were...interesting…and growing more complicated by the second. He had slept with her, bitten her, turned her – she was, in essence, _his, _and the more he thought about it the stronger he felt about it. A jealous possessiveness reared its ugly head; something he had not felt in relation to another person in a _very_ long time.

As much as he wanted to be, Elijah was not her maker. _He_ was. And in the end, that was the truth that really mattered.

Mystic Falls had itself a brand new baby vampire.

Smiling, he slowly returned to his room, where he sat and waited for what the morning would bring.


	3. Chapter 3

**Yeah, so Elena's a vampire. Rough times. LOL**

**Usually I like writing stories where Elena is a human – there's something sexy about her being so mortal and fragile and interacting with all of these strong, immortal vampires in her life, especially the big bad Originals, and yet still maintaining incredible courage. But this one is a little different. I think it's good to shake things up every now and again, don't you? I don't want my stories to become too predictable (which I'm sure they will at some point, but hopefully not just yet).**

**Thought I would just clarify something: while Kol's feelings for Elena are complicated and new for him, his possessiveness of her, right now at least, stems from his desire to revel in taking something he knows Elijah wants. It's hard to explain, and I hope things come across more clearly as the story develops, but at the moment Kol is just being a malicious, greedy, selfish brat. It's sort of like…the Original equivalent of a volatile, surly teenager's rebellion. Anyway, don't read **_**too**_** much into it at the moment. Things will get complex, but Kol is still primarily very self-centered and for the most part indifferent towards the others. He just wants to one-up Elijah in a sense, lol.**

**Even though my thoughts probably came out as a jumbled mess just then, I hope that gave you a little bit more of an understanding of Kol's mindset. There will be many different layers of his character that will be peeled back as the story progresses.**

**Y'all continue to be awesome. :) Enjoy!**

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"_Where is she?"_

Elena woke to the sounds of birds chirping, a shower running somewhere, a coffee maker gurgling down in the kitchen…

…and Damon.

"_Who do you mean?"_

Kol. She would recognize the smooth lilt of his voice anywhere, anytime.

"_Don't play dumb with me, Kol,"_ the elder Salvatore snarled. _ "We know Elena's here. The sooner you hand her over so she can come home with us, the better."_

"_Hand her over?"_ Kol's voice was incredulous and somewhat amused. For some reason it was like music to her ears, a balm to her heightened hearing; like a stream of cool water trickling over her sensitive eardrums, soothing her frazzled nerves. _"I'm not sure she would appreciate being spoken of like a piece of stolen property. Unless you intend to pay for her? Maybe we could broker a deal,"_ he joked. She could practically see the smirk on his face in her mind's eye.

"_She belongs with us, and you know it!" _Caroline. Probably being used as a potential distraction for Klaus. _"She needs to go home."_

"_Oh, Elena's not going anywhere." _This voice was smooth, like chocolate and bourbon and pure carnal sin, and Elijah's face swam before her eyes. _"Especially not with you. She's made it clear that she needs a…break, so to speak, for the time being. Not surprising, considering you were responsible for her death."_

"_Ah, yes…speaking of which, who exactly was the responsible party? Inquiring minds want to know, you see."_

She sat up at the voice that sent chills down her spine, sliding over her ears like silk, the poisonous forked tongue of a snake.

Klaus.

This time, she got the feeling Caroline would not be a proper distraction. She knew that tone of voice – the one that signaled impending death. And her friends could be obliviously ignorant when they had set their mind on a goal. Ignoring her body's protest, she climbed out of the luxurious king bed that smelled strongly of Elijah, reluctant to leave the tantalizing scent behind. In fact, as she opened the door to slip out of the room, she felt slightly sick to her stomach, her nose insisting that she return.

The voices got louder as she traveled down the stairs and through the mansion towards the kitchen.

"_It's none of your business how it happened, Klaus,"_ Caroline retorted.

"_Ah but it is, sweet Caroline,"_ Klaus said smoothly. _"Someone must be held responsible for last night's tragic accident."_

"_As if you care what happened to Elena," _Damon snorted.

"_Oh, I very much care, Mister Salvatore. Elena was the doppelganger – my doppelganger; now she is useless to me," _Klaus continued. _"It would be silly of me to place the blame on her, and the more I've thought about it the more I realize it would be folly to blame my brother, either; they hardly anticipated that you would _kill_ her in retaliation to their indiscretions, did they? No – the fault lies solely with you all, I believe."_ His voice was dripping with malice._ "But which one of you was it?"_ He paused. _"You look uncomfortable, Damon. Perhaps you killed her?"_

"_Niklaus."_ This was said softly – a warning from his elder brother. But Elena had a feeling the hybrid was too far-gone to care. This deadly calm he was exercising was uncharacteristic; nothing good could come from it.

"_It was an accident,"_ Caroline insisted. _"Nobody is to blame."_ But she sounded unconvinced. Her words were weak.

"_Ah, so it _was_ you?" _Klaus replied. _"You are always so adamant about keeping Elena out of harm's way, Damon; it seems ironic that you would be the one responsible for her death. Your recklessness and jealous temper are the reason she was killed, weren't they? The guilt in your eyes doesn't lie."_

Elena felt the tension in the room amp up by about a hundred. There was a whoosh, and a slam. Anticipating the worst, she stepped into the room, ready to put a stop to whatever nonsense was happening.

"Stop it," she ordered, watching as Klaus pinned Damon to the wall by his throat.

"Ah, Elena," Klaus replied, looking sideways at her. He grinned. "I might spare him under normal circumstances, love – but it's time he paid for his sins. He ruined my life with his foolishness, you see."

She saw red. She noticed Elijah and Kol staring at her, realizing belatedly that she was wearing one of Rebekah's oversized t-shirts and a pair of new underwear that the blonde had yet to take the tags off; but she didn't care. She was mad. She'd never felt such rage. The urge to kill was strong, and it horrified her – was this what being a vampire was like all the time?

"_Your_ life?" she demanded angrily. _"His_ foolishness? You're all being foolish! You're no better than a spoiled child, throwing a tantrum every time you don't get your way. You can't possibly criticize Damon for all of the traits you also have in abundance."

She stared him down as he snarled at her, tightening his hold on Damon's neck.

"Let him go, Klaus," she said quietly. "Now."

Instead of heeding her command he plunged his hand through Damon's chest, grabbing a hold of his heart. Damon cried out in pain.

"NO!"

Elena was across the room in a flash, dizzy from the unfamiliar speed. Then her hands were tearing the hybrid away from the Salvatore like he weighed nothing, and she threw him through the kitchen wall with incredible force. He landed in the den like a rag doll, sprawled out on the carpet. She flexed her hands, surprised by her own strength.

He was instantly on his feet, staring at her in complete shock, before anger overtook his features and he snapped a leg off the coffee table and rushed at her through the hole in the wall.

She somehow sidestepped him and grabbed the makeshift stake, struggling against his grip before wrenching it out of his hands and throwing it across the room. He roared and lunged for her; his hand managed to catch the neck of her shirt, ripping it, before he was suddenly torn away from her. She lurched backwards and Damon caught her while Caroline stepped in front of her defensively. They all stared wide-eyed at the picture before them, unsure of how to proceed.

Elijah and Kol had their half-brother pressed firmly against the refrigerator, each holding an arm, effectively restraining him while he struggled against their grasp, his eyes glowing golden and his teeth bared in an ugly, terrifying snarl, the double hybrid fangs protruding sharply from his gums. He attempted to bite Kol, but his younger brother quickly and efficiently avoided his teeth, grabbing Klaus's chin and sharply twisting it, effectively breaking his jaw. The hybrid screamed in pain. Elijah stepped on his foot, rooting his brother to the floor, before placing a palm on his forehead and pressing his head back against the refrigerator door.

Eventually Klaus stopped struggling, realizing that his sheer hybrid strength was no match for the combined strength of his brothers. He panted in frustration, withdrawing his fangs reluctantly, but he still glared at Elena with wild yellow eyes.

"Strong," he said hoarsely, clearing his throat. "She's strong."

Kol cocked his head. "I created her. Of course she's strong."

"No, I mean she's _too_ strong," Klaus replied impatiently, his eyes slowly fading as his anger ebbed into resentful curiosity. "Not stronger than I am, but strong enough that she caught me off guard; something's off." He snorted at their raised eyebrows. "Go on then – you try to jump her, if you don't believe me."

Elena looked at her own hands; they were shaking. Her whole body was shaking. Elijah, Kol and Klaus were all looking at her with consideration, assessing her with curious eyes. She stared back at them, feeling like a deer in headlights. Caroline, her gaze still trained warily on the violent Original hybrid, shifted to glance at the brunette newbie vampire out of the corner of her eye. Damon's arms tightened on her upper arms, and she welcomed the contact, his touch the only familiar feeling in a sea of strangeness. His presence behind her was comforting; despite how angry and disappointed she was with him right now.

Elijah slowly turned back to his incapacitated brother. "We can investigate that later. Now I need to know that you aren't going to throw a fit and attack her again as soon as we let you go."

Klaus growled low in his throat, glaring at Elena. "And why shouldn't I kill her, Elijah? Because you _like_ her? You always were pathetic when it came to the Petrovas," he sneered nastily.

Before Elijah could even react to his younger brother's taunting words, Kol swiftly and unexpectedly plunged his hand into Klaus's midsection. The hybrid screamed at the intrusion, writhing against the refrigerator. Elijah looked as surprised as the rest of them, but did not slacken his grip.

The youngest male Original leaned in close to Klaus's ear. "You lay a hand on my baby vampire," he hissed threateningly, "and I'll rip your entrails out – slowly – before I pulverize every one of your bodily organs one by one." Driving his threat home, he punctuated his words by twisting his hand in Klaus's abdomen; whatever he had a hold of in there, Elena did not know – and she did not want to find out. "And after _I'm_ done with you, I'm sure Elijah would be happy to take over in my stead – and God only knows what he would do to you."

Elijah smirked a little at the vehemence in Kol's tone, obviously entertained by the idea of torturing Klaus if anything were to happen to her. His voice was like death; Elena shuddered.

"Oh, I'm sure I could come up with a few things," he murmured, staring deeply into Klaus's horrified blue-green eyes to show that he meant every word. "I may not be as creative as our little brother, but I find that the simplest, most basic forms of torture can be just as effective; that's why they're considered staples, right, Kol?"

"Right you are brother," Kol responded evilly. "There's a reason certain things never go out of style. Why mess with something that's already good?" His smile sent shivers down her spine, and she felt Damon tense behind her. Caroline shifted uncomfortably, not liking the turn this conversation had taken.

Elijah snorted in amusement. Elena had never seen him like this; even when he'd killed Trevor, and killed the two vampires that had tried to take her to Klaus that time so long ago, his actions were born of necessity. Those deaths had been efficient and practical. This was anything but.

And it aroused her.

"So, brother," Kol continued conversationally, his tone light and casual, as if he _didn't_ have his hand lodged in his brother's stomach, "do we have an understanding?"

Klaus groaned, his eyes glistening with unshed tears – whether they were tears of pain or tears of terror, Elena could not tell; perhaps a mixture of both. "Yes," he choked out, his voice strangled. "Fine."

Kol immediately removed his hand from Klaus, blood dripping from his fingers onto the tile floor. He thumped the hybrid on the chest. "I'm so glad the three of us have come to a peaceful agreement!" he said gleefully. Turning away from his brother, who was clutching his stomach in pain, he faced the three vampires huddled in the corner.

His gaze traveled from her blonde friend, to the blue-eyed vampire at her back, to rest on Elena. He smirked at her sexily, his eyes nearly black; his stare was cold as flint and unreadable as usual. Her skin tingled. She felt something odd well up in her undead heart: gratitude, perhaps, for saving her life and coming to her defense so passionately – but it felt strangely akin to pride, and it felt as much right as it did unsettling.

"Well," he said cheerily, cracking his knuckles, "I don't know about you, but I'm feeling a tad…sticky. I'm going to shower. Niklaus, perhaps you should do the same." He chuckled at his own wry humor, strolling casually and confidently out of the kitchen.

On his way out he stopped next to Elena and Damon, leaning in so that his face was inches from that of the elder Salvatore, staring him in the eye. He grabbed Damon's hand and pulled it from her arm. The younger vampire hissed as Kol roughly snapped his index finger back, breaking the bone.

"Hands off – or I'll tear them off," he snarled quietly. The show of possessiveness made Elena tremble; but she could not tell if it was a good feeling or a bad one. Then he leaned almost imperceptibly against her shoulder, brushing her arm with hers in a feather light touch, before he stalked through the door and was gone.

His touch had her nerve endings tingling. She felt both relieved and stressed at his departure, sucking in a breath and exhaling heavily.

Klaus growled and glared at Kol's retreating form sullenly, but did not make a move – probably because Elijah still stood close next to him.

It was funny; Elijah and Klaus were exactly the same height, but she noticed that the brunette seemed to loom over his brother whenever they were in the same room. Despite his increased power as a hybrid, Klaus had never managed to develop the powerful aura that surrounded the eldest Mikaelson. None of his siblings had. Sure, Kol emanated an ominous malevolence, practically oozing danger and cruelty from every pore, but he instigated more abject terror and panic than anything.

No, Elijah had accomplished something else, something unique: he commanded instant respect with a mere look. The fear people felt in his presence was something far greater, far deeper, than whatever his siblings managed to inspire. It was a slow and terrible burn in the pit of one's stomach, a cold dread that slithered up one's spine and caused the heart to freeze. It was the knowledge that you were in the company of one of the greatest forces on earth – a force that could be positive or negative, depending on the circumstances. Regardless of whether your interaction with him was bad or good, it was sure to change your life significantly.

Elijah Mikaelson was quite possibly the most magnificent creature to walk the planet.

Suddenly she felt the urge to touch him, any part of him, any inch of skin that was not covered in his suit. His smell pervaded her senses, easing the pressure on her mind that had been there since she awakened. She caught his eyes, and something strange passed between them, a tense energy that had the air of the room crackling with electricity. Her eyes took him in hungrily, unable to get enough of his form. As a human she had never noticed certain details about him that were in sharp relief now: the caramel bands that wrapped around his brown irises, the texture of his hair, the chords of his neck, a thick white scar on the back of his hand. She could even see the calluses on his palms and the pads of his fingers; imagined what they would feel like on her skin. He had not shaved today, and the faint shadow of stubble covered his jaw, something she had never seen on him before. His stare was intense, his unfathomable umber eyes burning into hers. A muscle ticked in his jaw, and she saw his nostrils flare as he continued to gaze at her hotly.

"Elena."

Caroline's soft voice jolted her back to reality; the butterflies in her stomach did not stop fluttering, but the haze of desire lifted. She blinked.

"It's time for you to come home," the blonde said gently, touching her forearm.

Elena stepped back towards the door Kol had come through, swallowing heavily. Her friends looked at her expectantly. Caroline's soft blue eyes were full of compassion and sorrow, and Damon, with the pale aqua eyes that had always made her heart clench, was staring at her with equal parts guilt and longing.

She shook her head. "I can't."

"Elena…" Damon began.

"No. I_ can't,"_ she interrupted. "I can't go with you right now."

"Why not?" the elder Salvatore brother asked, his icy eyes laced with confusion.

She gulped, her throat dry. Her eyes darted frantically between the two Original brothers and the friends who had come so bravely to rescue her.

But from whom, or from what, did she need to be rescued?

"I…I don't know."

Tears in her eyes and turmoil in her heart, she turned and fled.

Rebekah passed her in the hallway, blonde eyebrows raised, and stepped into the kitchen, freshly showered and dressed. She stared at the remaining people in the kitchen in confusion.

"Did I miss something?"

**000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

**Thoughts?**

**Next chapter there will be a lot of intense sexual tension: but how, where, and between whom? Keep reading and find out! :)**

**xoxo**


	4. Chapter 4

Elena refused to look up as the heavy wooden double doors to her new guest room at the Mikaelson mansion cracked open, already knowing who was on the other side.

"You can come in," she said hoarsely, leaning back against the headboard of her bed with her knees drawn up to her chest.

Caroline poked her head of riotous blonde curls through the door, opening it slowly and stepping inside before closing it with a soft click behind her. She hauled a suitcase up onto the king-sized bed next to Elena and tossed the new vampire a blood bag.

"Hi," her friend said softly. "I thought I'd bring you some stuff…from home."

Elena sniffed, blinking tears away. "Thanks, Care. I'm sorry I pushed you away this morning."

Caroline smiled popped the cap off her blood bag, sipping on it as she would a juice box. "It's okay, Elena. You've been a vampire for less than twelve hours. You have every right to be emotionally unstable. I'd be worried if you weren't."

Elena tore into her own blood bag, sucking down the crimson liquid that was so delicious and yet had her stomach roiling. She supposed she would get used to it. "How is everyone taking it?"

"Well, I miss you already, of course. Damon is throwing a fit, naturally. Matt is taking it all in stride and, as is his style, his love for you is constant no matter what; he and I are the only ones that have remained even remotely levelheaded throughout all this, trying our best to manage the others before shit hits the fan. Jeremy is devastated, but you know how he's developed this freaky ability to recover quickly – he and Alaric have already contacted Elijah to meet with him 'concerning your future and the best course of action.'" She giggled and rolled her eyes. "He misses you a lot, and I know he feels really terrible about what happened, but he's determined to make this right and wants to be a support for you in any way he can."

"And Bonnie?" Elena asked worriedly as she drank, too distracted by her thoughts to be concerned with the fangs that had sprouted from her gums and the veins that made a brief appearance under her eyes before fading away.

Caroline looked away, biting her lower lip between her teeth. "Bonnie is…struggling."

She squeezed her eyes shut tightly to stop the tears from welling in her eyes; the space behind her eyelids burned with the effort. "She hates me, doesn't she? She hates what I am."

Her blonde friend caught her hand in a fierce grip. "Of course she doesn't. She'll never hate you. She just has a lot of mixed feelings right now; and you know how she likes doling out blame. It gives her something to focus on, and it comforts her," she snorted amusedly. "But she and I are still friends, right? She has compromised a lot for me since I turned. She'll come around, Elena. She loves you." She smiled reassuringly. "We all do." She paused, her brow furrowing. "And you were right…maybe we're not the best thing for you right now," she admitted quietly, her expression glum. "Though I'm not convinced you should be here, either."

Elena met her best friends eyes. "I just…I'm afraid to be around Jeremy right now. I don't seem to have developed any ripper tendencies – I think they would have definitely manifested by now – and I'm not crawling out of my skin with hunger, but…" She glanced down, wringing her hands. "Sometimes these images pop up into my head: blood, sex, violence. In the kitchen this morning, I really _wanted_ to watch Elijah and Kol torture Klaus. I was so angry. And it just felt natural. And…and I'm afraid of myself, Caroline. I don't want to hurt anybody – you know me almost better than anyone, and you know I wouldn't be able to handle it. I would fall apart. So until I'm sure I have complete control..." She swallowed, nervously thinking about the eldest Mikaelson brother. "Elijah has made it clear that he would be more than willing to teach me. Who better to learn control from than the master of control himself?"

Caroline looked grim. "I know. I just don't trust them, Elena. I know Elijah cares for you in…some capacity," she said awkwardly, "and Rebekah hasn't thrown a fit and tried to kill you yet; and it's apparent that Kol is extremely protective of you, though I'm not so sure it's for the right reasons." She squeezed Elena's hand. "Despite all of this, they are _dangerous_, Elena. Don't let the facts that Elijah gave you a hug and Rebekah drew you a bath lull you into a false sense of security. Kol is notoriously unpredictable, and Klaus is just downright hateful. We know how petty and vengeful Original Bitch can be when it suits her. And Elijah…" She shuddered. "Elijah is the most moral of them all, but he's also unflinchingly ruthless and manipulative when he needs to be. He's a creature of practicality and has shown himself to be unfailingly loyal to those he cares about; but don't make the mistake of thinking he cares more about you than he does about his family. He won't hesitate to kill you if he thinks you've become a threat. Just tread carefully, Elena. You saw him today: he's _scary_. They all are; but the fact that _Klaus_ defers to him is indicative of how much control he has over his family."

"They fear him," Elena murmured in agreement. "He's the head of the family, despite Klaus's hybrid status. I don't think I'll have anything to worry about from Rebekah – she adores Elijah, and respects him unconditionally. Klaus is a hothead, but I think his fear of his brothers' retribution is too great for him to do anything – you saw him today. Kol…" She trailed off, the thought of the youngest male Original chilling her and yet filling her with a sense of wonder. "Like you said, he's unpredictable. He's extremely manipulative and I'm afraid of his end game. He can charm the pants off just about anyone," she finished.

"Or the ball gown," Caroline muttered under her breath, her eyes shooting into her hairline.

"Regardless of how dysfunctional the Original family dynamic is," she said sharply, smacking the blonde on the arm and choosing to ignore the snarky comment in reference to her tryst with the sadistic vampire last night, "they are my best option right now. You heard what they said earlier, saw what happened in the kitchen: Klaus said I'm strong. Stronger than usual; and I think they are the only ones that can teach me how to live with it."

Caroline perked up at this, clapping her hands together. "Oh! I almost forgot about that," she said excitedly. "Stefan thinks he knows why that is. He has a theory, anyway."

She stiffened. "Stefan?"

Caroline gave her a half smile. "He's not himself right now, Elena; but he does care. He's been broodier than ever these past few hours. Wallowing in guilt and self-blame, I'm sure."

This caused Elena to smile a bit. "That sounds about right. I wasn't sure…" She cleared her throat. "I wasn't sure he'd care. So what's his theory?"

Caroline shifted on the bed, crossing her legs Indian style. "Well, remember Katherine?"

She snorted, glaring and rolling her eyes. "No, Caroline, who is that?" The blonde looked sheepish. "Yes, of course I remember Katherine. Vividly," she said bitterly.

"Yes, well, apparently she is stronger than your average vampire. Both he and Damon remember asking her about it at some point, and apparently she brushed it off and said it was just 'one of the perks of being a doppelganger.'"

Elena's eyes widened in understanding. "That makes sense, actually."

"It does?"

She nodded. "Hybrid species are stronger than other vampires. Any vampire that was already a supernatural creature before they were turned – i.e. a witch, a doppelganger, or a werewolf like Klaus – are perceptibly more powerful than those who were human. Klaus, as an Original _and_ a hybrid species, is the most powerful of all, of course. I remember Elijah mentioning it briefly when we discussed it all those months ago; I didn't take note of it then, but technically a doppelganger is a supernatural being. Even if we don't have any cool abilities," she mumbled resentfully.

Caroline appeared to be processing, her eyes narrowed and her thin coral lips pursed. "Alright – then that explains that part. However, you have another advantage."

"Oh?"

"Well, duh," her friend replied, her curls bouncing. "You were turned with Original blood. That in itself makes all the difference in the world."

Elena tilted her head, considering. "So it's like a double whammy."

"A triple whammy," Caroline corrected, a smirk on her face. "Don't ask how we found this out – it's complicated – but Kol was a warlock before he was turned. By blood only – he was untrained in the practice of magic – but the genes were there. It might not affect you at all – but it _could_ contribute to the anomaly of your extra bad-ass-ness."

Elena grinned and poked her best friend, who giggled. "I really don't know anything yet, Care. All I know is that I threw Klaus through a wall – a _wall_ – and have broken two doorknobs, a shampoo bottle, a glass shower door, and a sink – like, the whole sink. Just cracked. Bam. But I don't know about any super strength."

"I guess we'll see," Caroline said, climbing off the bed. "I promised Damon I would meet him at the grill to ease his fears. I think he's on the verge of a mental breakdown…or he's developed epilepsy, I don't know. Anyway, I'll come back soon, okay? You're bound to need some better company than a bunch of sociopathic thousand-year-old vampires," she teased.

"Thanks, Care," she responded warmly, less likely to burst into tears now that her friend had visited. "Oh, and Caroline?"

"Yep?"

"When you were first turned, did you ever get sick?" she inquired. "Like, nausea, dizziness, splitting headache, ringing ears…"

Caroline frowned. "Not that I remember. The first couple of times I drank blood I wanted to throw it back up – just because the taste and texture of it were unfamiliar to me. It was gross. But I was just fine." She stared at the doppelganger suspiciously. "Why, are you having trouble keeping the blood down?"

"No!" Elena denied hurriedly. "No, no, everything's fine. Just curious, that's all. Bye Caroline. I love you."

The blonde hesitated, a question on the tip of her tongue, but she let it go. "I love you, too."

When she left Elena went to the bathroom to pee, and then stood at the sink – the unbroken one – as she washed her hands and stared at herself in the mirror. She wiped a drop of blood from the corner of her mouth.

"Everything's fine," she whispered to her reflection. "Just fine."

Her stomach rolled.

00000000

"Punch me."

"Sorry?"

"Are you deaf? I said punch me."

She narrowed her eyes, crossing her arms defensively. "You'll kill me if I do. I won't give you an excuse."

The hybrid, who only hours ago had been trying to kill the doppelganger vampire, sighed in frustration, rocking back on his feet. "Come on now, love. I don't fancy having my entrails ripped out. Or weren't you in the kitchen this morning when my two favorite brothers so _lovingly_ threatened me with horrible unending torture?" he said snidely. "You can trust me."

Elena let out a sharp bark of laughter. "Yes, of course. You're like Yoda and Dumbledore and a fluffy golden retriever puppy all rolled into one. I feel so safe and secure with you – what on earth was I thinking?" she replied sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

Elijah snorted from his position on the couch, having trouble focusing on the ancient book in front of him – he was reading a section on doppelgangers – while so deeply entertained by the feisty baby vampire. Rebekah hid a smile in her mug of tea, struggling to contain her amusement. Klaus grew more infuriated by the second, looking like he wanted nothing more than to rip the doppelganger's pretty little head from her shoulders.

"Fine!" he huffed, flopping down onto the couch opposite from his elder brother. "I give up."

"Elena," Elijah drawled casually, flipping a page, "we will be unable to figure out exactly how strong you are until one of us is on the receiving end of said strength. We agreed on Niklaus, because he seems to be the member of our family that you are…least charmed by," he said diplomatically, giving his brother a tight-lipped smile. He received a sullen, murderous glare in return. He retained his laughter.

Elena sighed. "As much as I would sometimes like to rearrange your brother's face, I just can't bring myself to punch someone out of the blue like that. Not only does it go against my nature, it just feels…awkward," she said, flexing her hand.

"You're lucky, then, that I've come up with the perfect solution."

Elijah stiffened as his youngest brother entered the room, stalking like a cat. His voice was a predatory purr.

Elena was instantly on edge, staring at the vampire whose blood had turned her. Elijah watched her watch Kol, curious about her reactions to her maker.

"And what would that be, brother?" Elijah asked lazily, his eyes drifting over to the mischievous brunette.

Kol cocked his head, considering something. "All she needs is a little proper motivation. Self-preservation usually does the trick, wouldn't you agree?"

Elena cried out in surprise when Kol rushed at her in a blur, tackling her to the ground. Elijah stood abruptly, intent on intervening, when he watched Kol get flipped forcibly to the ground. That gave him pause; maybe a surprise attack wasn't such a bad idea after all. Though it made his chest constrict painfully and his stomach fall through his feet to see her on the ground like this, he stood back for the sake of progress. And if Kol really hurt her, he'd be on him like a flash.

He apparently had no cause to worry, though, because the instant after Kol had her pressed against the wall she had _him_ pressed against the wall. Elijah, Rebekah and Klaus watched in amazement as she struggled to grip his head; then she snapped his neck.

Kol slid down against the wall and dropped to the ground, temporarily lifeless. Elena stepped back from his body like it was a snake, wiping blood from her nose with a shaky hand.

Elijah wasn't sure exactly what reaction he was expecting from her, but it certainly wasn't what happened next.

"Kol!"

The doppelganger dropped to her knees next to her maker's lax form, her hands running frantically up and down his chest. She sobbed.

"No, no, no…what have I done?" Her cries were distraught, her eyes full of panicked tears. She framed his slack face in her hands, smoothing her thumbs over his temples. "I didn't mean it, Kol. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean it. I'm _sorry."_

Rebekah was the first to react, breaking out of her shocked stupor to lean down next to Elena, trying to pry her away from her brother's body. Elena refused to budge, wailing in despair. His sister, sighing in frustration, used all of her strength to easily lift the upset vampire up off the ground, depositing her like a child on the arm of a recliner. At least, Elijah thought, they were still stronger than Elena – Kol had merely underestimated her as a potential opponent and she had caught him by surprise, much like she had with Klaus. She was still exceptionally strong though – more than any of them had anticipated.

"Don't be a twit, Elena," Rebekah said sharply. She nudged at Kol's bare foot with the toe of her slipper. "He's not _dead._ He'll be awake to tuck you into bed," she snipped sarcastically, rolling her eyes at the doppelganger's antics.

Elena continued to stare intently at Kol's body, her sobs ebbing into sniffles. "I killed him."

"Elena," Elijah prodded gently, pushing a stray hair behind her ear. The contact shocked his fingertips, sending a jolt of electricity throughout his entire body.

The touch seemed to have a similar effect on her, because she quivered. Her hand snatched his, her thumb running over the scar on the back of his hand. He watched in fascination as her eyes seemed to clear and snapped up to meet his, free of tears. He saw the pupils in her big russet orbs dilate, turning the irises black. The air grew thick and heavy between them, and he found himself unable to look away or move back. He hummed low in his chest.

Then she blinked, and the spell was broken.

But she did not let go of his hand.

"What…" she said thickly, running her free hand over her ponytail. "I…I killed him." She frowned, staring at Kol.

Klaus caught Elijah's eye from where he sat on the couch; he was leaning forward, his shoulders tense. As they exchanged concerned glances, they seemed to come to the same conclusion.

When Rebekah noticed their twin expressions, realization dawned. Her blue eyes were wide and her jaw slack with horror.

"She's _sired,"_ his sister said breathily. "She's sired…to Kol."

00000000

Elijah stared into his glass of scotch, exhausted. Once he had managed to calm Elena down enough to put her to bed – which seemed to go infinitely better when he was touching her in some capacity, oddly enough; something to muse on another time – the three siblings had convened in Klaus's quarters, sitting around the fireplace in his private den. The hybrid swirled scotch around in his glass, admiring the way it caught the light.

"This is rich," his brother said sardonically. "Of all the damned sire bonds…" He trailed off thoughtfully, taking a sip of the amber liquid.

Elijah's head hurt. His whole body hurt, actually. Perhaps the years and stress were finally weighing on him.

Rebekah sighed heavily, looking troubled. "No one can find out about this."

"No," Klaus agreed. "That would be most…catastrophic."

Elijah looked at him strangely. "Not that I am in any way doubting your character, Niklaus," he said dryly, "but you seem awfully concerned with this situation. I'm baffled that you aren't in the least bit interested in revealing this little…tidbit…of information to Kol."

Klaus raised his glass in a mocking salute, his smirk showing no offense. "Don't worry, brother, I don't have any _honorable_ intentions towards your lovely doppelganger. I'm not in any danger of becoming noble." He took a sip of his scotch, his face turning serious. "As much as something like this would typically amuse me, a sire bond to Kol would be abominably miserable. I wouldn't wish that on anyone. Especially someone who doesn't in the least bit deserve such a fate."

Elijah believed him, strangely enough. "Kol isn't stupid. He'll find out sooner rather than later."

"It'll be tricky keeping it under wraps until we can find a way to break it," Rebekah mused, looking pensive. "Why don't we compel it out of her?"

"Simple enough," Klaus agreed.

Elijah shook his head, grimacing. "We tried that a few minutes ago, before she was able to calm down enough to settle in. Conveniently enough, it seems as though that little trick doesn't work on our doppelganger-turned-vampire-by-warlock-turned-Original. Just another complication," he sighed, rubbing his eyes.

"You seem stressed, brother," Klaus said teasingly, flashing his dimples. Elijah glared. "How's our baby vampire handling the knowledge that she's sired to the vampire that is the _last_ person in the world anyone would want to be sired to?"

"As well as can be expected," he replied. He took a large gulp of his drink – the unpleasant buzzing in his head abated a little. "Better than most, I think. But it's hard to tell; I'm sure she's extremely upset, but she doesn't let on to that sort of thing. She'll try to brave it out."

"Though you obviously know her far better than we do, Elijah," Klaus said, a hint of slyness in his voice just short of teasing, "I think we all know that it will eventually break her. Her personality seems to have remained largely the same since she turned – except for the fuck-me eyes she trains on you at every turn – and a sire bond to someone like _Kol_ will eat her alive."

Rebekah grinned at Klaus's observation, raising her eyebrows. Elijah clenched his jaw – he refused to discuss Elena's "fuck-me eyes" with his obnoxious younger siblings. At least he hadn't been imagining the tension between them, the looks they gave each other when they thought no one was watching.

Elijah rubbed at his head, the headache suddenly back full force, like a steel drum buried deep within his brain. He sighed heavily. "I know this, Niklaus. He will rob her of her sanity in a month's time. The bottom line is: we need to break it. Or find an alternative that prevents her from being so strongly affected by it. None of us noticed it before tonight's incident, so it isn't apparent unless triggered by something traumatic; we'll just have to avoid those interactions at all costs."

Rebekah leaned forward, peering at him curiously. "Elijah…are you ill?" she asked with concern.

"We don't get ill, Rebekah," he denied. "I just need sleep. It's been quite a while since I've had any."

"By all means, then, brother," Klaus said, standing. His siblings followed suit. "We can talk about this later. And Elijah," he warned, his tone no longer teasing, as his older brother opened the door, "try to keep a lid on your feelings for the doppelganger; Kol already knows you have a weakness for her, and he will use that against the both of you.

"But I don't think I need to tell you to tread carefully. Just proceed with caution; because while we all love our impetuous brother, he's as much of a decent person as I am a…a fluffy golden retriever puppy."

00000000

She awoke in the dark, his name on her lips.

_Elijah._

She swallowed and sat up, her mind jumping to where Kol was lying on the living room floor; unless he was awake by now, and back in his room.

Would he be angry with her, she wondered? She closed her eyes, willing the thoughts of him from her mind. Her head pounded, a miserable hammer beating against the inside of her skull.

Groaning, she climbed out of bed, wrapping her silk bathrobe tight and padding down the hallway, her feet moving of their own accord. She knew where she was going, but it was not a conscious decision on her part. With each step her headache grew less severe.

It was only a dull throb when she reached his door. Pushing it open, she froze.

She should have knocked. Why hadn't she knocked?

Thank God there were at least boxer briefs adorning his lower half, though they did little to cover the tantalizing shape of his body. The rest of him was on display, and her hungry eyes wasted no time in perusing his body, her mouth parted in awe.

Hot _damn._

He looked shocked to see her. His hair was still damp from his shower, and steam poured through the open door of his bathroom. His smell hit her full on, and she inhaled greedily.

"Elena?"

"Elijah! I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to…" She trailed off awkwardly, her mouth suddenly dry as his pectoral muscles flexed briefly.

Oh God, she was being a creeper! Meeting his eyes in horror, she abruptly turned and fled.

_Go back. Go back. GO BACK._

Everything in her body protested. She stopped at the top of the stairs, dropping to her knees as a wave of nausea tore through her body. The pain in her head was intense. Groaning in pain, she used the handrail to drag herself to her feet, and ran back down the hallway from whence she came before she could think twice.

She couldn't deal with the pain. He made it better.

He met her at the door, his eyes full of understanding. She swallowed.

"I can't sleep," she said breathily.

"Neither can I," he replied hoarsely.

"I feel better when I'm with you," she blurted out, unable to be in such close proximity without touching him. She put a hand on his chest.

The relief was instant. They both sighed in satisfaction; his eyes closed.

It was like she was no longer in control of her own body, and her mind was clouded. Her other hand joined the first of its own accord, and she ran them down his toned chest, her fingernails scraping lightly across the skin of his taut abs. She leaned forward unconsciously, and pressed her mouth to his collarbone, laving it with her tongue. Her hands dipped swiftly into the waistband of his navy boxer briefs and grasped a hold of his pulsing erection, already standing at full attention. He hissed, and she squeezed.

"Elijah."

And then she was being tugged swiftly into the dimly lit room, and the door was closed and locked behind her.


	5. Chapter 5

**OMG, so I just now watched last week's TVD episode – I miss Kol soooo much! I mean, I miss all the Originals on the show, but at least Klaus and Elijah and Rebekah have their own show now. I want Nate Buzolic back! They should make him come back from the veil somehow and put him on the Originals… And him getting all teary-eyed there when he was talking to Matt: wtf?! Kol doesn't cry like that. Or he shouldn't. He is a dry-eyed BAMF who can show concern and emotion but does **_**not**_** cry. At least, **_**my **_**Kol will never cry.**

**Alright, I'm done. Glad I got that off my chest.**

**000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Everywhere she touched, he burned.

Elijah was glad he was stronger than her in that moment; as it was, it was still a chore to remove her cool little hands from his underwear. He slammed her against the door, pinning her there with her wrists above her head, and forced a knee in between her legs. She rolled her body against his in response, arching away from the door, panting with desire.

Unable to resist the rose petals of her lips, he kissed her. They groaned into each other's mouths, their lips instantly parting so that their tongues could tangle in a passionate power struggle. His hands released her wrists in favor of loosening her robe around her waist, pushing the flimsy material aside to skim his hands down her body and squeezing the supple flesh through her tank top and shorts. Her hands slid through his hair, pulling his head back and brushing her lips down his jaw and neck.

"God, Elijah," she whined, undulating her hips against his in a desperate search for friction.

"Elena," he rasped. Her tongue slid down to his nipple, swirling around it before continuing its trail downward. She dropped to her knees in front of him, pulling his erection from his boxer briefs. "Oh, fuck," he groaned as her lips closed over his thick length.

She flicked the tip of his dick with her tongue, causing him to shudder. Then she took him all the way into her mouth, her lips sliding down eight inches to wrap around the base of his cock. He threw his head back and moaned gutturally as the tip of him hit the back of her throat.

He threaded his fingers through her long, silky tresses as she began to blow him, deep throating him the whole way. She did this for minutes, caressing his balls and thighs with her hands, working him to completion. When she started to move faster, bobbing up and down with her new vampire speed, he panted harshly, feeling his orgasm near. Then she gave a particularly hard suck, and he came, shooting into her mouth. He moaned as she swallowed his essence down, milking him, before releasing him with a soft pop. She licked her lips, looking pleased.

He dragged her to her feet and pinned her to the door, his grip on her shoulders harsh. Her hands roamed over his torso, as if she were unable to stop touching him, even for a moment. He had never been this libidinous towards a woman before; his cock was already bucking as it began to harden again.

"Elena," he ground out – it made it infinitely harder to concentrate when she was nibbling at his Adam's apple like that, "as much as I would like for this to continue, we should stop. This is… Something about this is strange."

"Yes," she agreed, her breath hot on his ear. "Very strange." Her tongue darted out to lick the shell of his ear. "I need you to touch me, Elijah."

"I don't think that's a good…"

He trailed off weakly as she guided his hand down her body, pressing his fingers firmly against her mound through her pajama shorts. He hissed as he felt the warmth radiating from her core. Her fluids had thoroughly soaked through the thin cotton layers of her shorts and underwear. He salivated as the smell of her arousal permeated his senses; he could practically taste it on his tongue.

"Wet," he moaned, rubbing his hands along her slit through the material. She groaned. "God, you're wet."

"Elijah, please," she begged, whimpering as his fingers pressed more firmly against her. "I know something is off about this, but it feels right. I need to feel your hands on me. Please."

He held her gaze as he pleasured her, one hand steadying her hips while the other worked between her legs. She gasped when he pushed her shorts and panties aside to touch the skin directly. He plunged two fingers into her sheath unmercifully, manipulating her clit with his thumb. He watched her face as she came, screaming his name, her hot juices running down his hand and wrist.

He removed his hand, breathing heavily, and took a step back. Her eyes shot open, trained on his face.

"You don't want me." It was said matter of fact, a frown on her face.

He laughed breathily, incredulous. "Oh, believe me – I would love nothing more than to shove my cock into your tight pussy and fuck you into next week." His words had her eyes darkening, and he took a step back so as not to tempt either of them. "But something tells me that wouldn't be such a good idea."

"Why?" She pouted.

He grimaced. "I don't know, actually. Every second you stand here…" He trailed off, looking hungrily at her body, relaxed against his door. "My control is weakening as we speak. Please, Elena. I don't want to take advantage of you. As a new vampire, your sex drive is insatiable. And I think we both know there is something else at work here."

She nodded, swallowing. "You feel it too, don't you? The sickness."

"Yes," he admitted softly. "And I want to find out why."

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Elena stared out the window as the sun made its first appearance, peeking out from in between the mountains. She sighed, her jaw clenching. Everything was…so screwed up.

After returning to her room earlier that night, she had tried to sleep, but had ended up restlessly pacing the length of her rug.

After her heated encounter with Elijah, the tension in her head and stomach had abated and had stayed manageable for the past few hours, as if being with him in that way had sated whatever illness had overtaken them.

But it wasn't enough.

Frustrated with his rejection of her – why did it matter what was causing it, so long as it made them feel better? – she slipped her robe back on and made her way down to the kitchen.

She grabbed two blood bags from the refrigerator, tearing into one as she climbed the stairs to the west wing of the house. She sighed in relief, as her stomach did not turn when she sucked the blood down. Thank God.

She slipped through the door quietly. She squealed as she was instantly slammed into a wall, a hard body pinning her effectively so she could not move. She stared into angry brown eyes.

"Good morning," she squeaked. It was the only thing she could think to say.

"What are you doing in here?" Kol hissed, his fangs bared. She felt a bone in her wrist snap under the pressure of his tight grip.

"Ouch," she cried, glaring at him. "I was bringing you breakfast, if you must know. Thought I'd…apologize, for, um, killing you." She looked at him sheepishly.

He immediately let her go and snatched the unopened blood bag from her hand, glaring at her viciously. "I should gut you, you know."

She rubbed at her wrist, scowling. "I'm sorry. You attacked me! I thought that was the whole point – for me to fight back! Not my fault you fight like a girl," she muttered.

She looked up to find him staring at her amusedly, his eyes twinkling. "I suppose I underestimated you. It won't happen again."

She noticed all of a sudden that he was stark naked, sporting a bad case of morning wood, and she looked away, embarrassed.

"Oh come on, darling, it's nothing you haven't seen before," he said lightly, teasing her. "A little less than thirty-six hours ago you and I were crossing all sorts of physical boundaries. Or have you forgotten? Should I remind you?" he purred, stalking forward so that they were nose to nose.

She raised her horrified brown eyes to meet his now nearly black orbs. What she saw there had her shivering. "N-no, I haven't forgotten," she stuttered, pressing herself back against the wall.

He hummed, and she flinched as his hands went to her waist and his head dipped down to scent her neck. "Or perhaps you would like a repeat performance?" he murmured against her skin. He pulled back, a sly smirk spreading across his face. "In fact, I was just about to take a shower. How about you join me?"

A chilling feeling ran up her spine. Her stomach dropped, and, as she looked into his sparkling obsidian eyes, realization dawned.

He knew.

"Kol," she warned, but it sounded more like a plea. "Don't. Please."

His flinty eyes were full of malice, and desire. He chuckled, skimming a hand down her cheek. "Oh, but you know you want to, darling. Plus, a shower will be good for you – you smell like my brother," he growled. "Tell me, did you enjoy having your lips around his cock? As I remember it, you have quite the talent for felacio. Very enthusiastic."

Her cheeks flamed as much as any vampire's could. She was mortified.

"Well come on, then," he chirped, his smile maliciously gleeful. "Get undressed. I promise I'll make it worth your while." His eyebrows waggled suggestively as he turned and sauntered into his bathroom, turning the shower knob.

She was helpless to refuse. Her brain was struggling to find some loophole, some way she could get out of the situation she was in, but even as she tried she was shedding her clothes and following him to the bathroom, her womb burning with desire.

She closed her eyes as she stepped under the spray with the sexy vampire who had sired her, trying to shut his presence out.

"Look at me."

Her eyes snapped open. She hiccupped, in fear and arousal, when he grabbed her chin between his fingers.

"Good girl," he purred. Her body hummed in approval. He brought his lips to her forehead, kissing her chastely, before running his hands down her back and pulling her forward against his body. She moaned as his erection pressed tantalizingly against her stomach.

"How did you know?" she asked breathily, panting as his hands began to wander her form, caressing, squeezing, pinching.

He chuckled. "Oh, I had wondered about it since I first saw you in the kitchen yesterday morning. Call it a hunch, if you will. So I'm _so_ glad you came here this morning; it gave me the perfect chance to test my theory." He smirked at her. "And now I know for sure that you're sired to me."

She groaned, both at her stupidity and the feeling of his teeth scraping her jaw. She hadn't counted on him figuring it out so quickly; she had come to his room this morning out of some misbegotten concern for his well-being and her own need to apologize. But a niggling feeling in the back of her mind made her wonder if she hadn't wanted this.

He leaned back to look at her, his gaze triumphant and lustful. "Now turn around and bend over, would you?"

She sobbed in pleasure and humiliation as she spun around and leant forward to brace her hands around the metal bar on the shower wall. Her interaction with Elijah only hours earlier had left her primed and ready, aching for any sort of touch. She jumped when she felt the head of Kol's penis slide up her slit, spreading her juices around her opening.

The pleasure she felt with Elijah was like being burned alive: hot, heavy and fast. It made her want to crawl out of her skin with ecstasy. His touch both ignited and soothed.

With Kol it was a slow burn that simmered low in her stomach and spread throughout her body, frying her nerve endings. It was less intense, not the searing desire that flamed when she was around his brother, but no less mind-blowing. It was just…different.

She let out a long moan as he entered her slowly, stretching her inch by delicious inch. She figured genital endowment must run in the family. She arched as he slid into her pussy to the hilt, filling her completely.

As he began to fuck her, slowly, deeply, she felt herself unravel. Her body, her mind – both were coming apart at the seams. She keened in absolute pleasure, gripping the bar tightly as she felt her body climb to that place she most wanted to reach.

His hands had her hips in an iron grip as he slammed into her brutally, increasing his pace. She screamed in pain when her pelvis fractured, cracking under the force of his thrusts.

He pulled out of her and spun her around, grinning, and shoved her against the shower wall, lifting one of her legs and pushing his cock back into her tight cunt. He hissed against her neck, wrapping his other arm around her waist and pressing her close to his body.

"I've been dreaming of getting you naked again since I watched you put that gown back on at the ball," he breathed, running his lips over her jaw to meet her mouth in a searing kiss. His pace was slow again, languid, making her stomach quiver and tie into knots. "We're going to have so much fun together, darling."

She threw her head back, letting it fall against the wall, staring up into his face as she saw his eyes glaze over with his impending release. She felt that familiar coil tighten in her belly, felt her climax rush at her.

As she came, shouting, she instinctively leaned forward and buried her fangs in his throat. Ecstasy overtook her as the sweet ambrosia of his ancient blood filled her mouth. She heard him roar, felt him explode inside her pulsing channel, and then her head was ripped away from his neck and his teeth were tearing into the soft flesh of her jugular artery. She screamed in pain and pleasure, fighting against his hold and yet never wanting him to stop.

When he did stop, she was weak with blood loss. He hummed against her skin. "You taste just as good as a vampire as you did as a human." He pulled his head back, his lips and chin covered in her blood. "Never drink from me again without my permission," he warned quietly, his eyes cold. "Do I make myself clear?"

She nodded fearfully. His face twisted into a devilish smirk. "Good. I feel much better," he said, licking his lips. He stepped back into the spray of the shower, rinsing himself off. "Don't you?"

Suddenly the world seemed to tilt, and she lost her balance, catching herself on the wall. Her vision went blurry; she reached for the door, pushing it open and stumbling out of the shower. The lights of the bathroom were blinding. Her head split open with searing pain, and she clutched at it, wailing, as she stumbled to her knees in front of the toilet. Leaning over, she retched violently, heaving up the contents of her stomach. Blood splattered against the porcelain, staining the water red. She desperately clung to the toilet, sobbing wretchedly as she felt like every one of her bodily organs was pushed up through her throat.

She laid her head on the toilet seat, the sound of her own breathing filling her ears. Her body shook heavily. Vaguely she felt Kol's gentle hands on her body, stroking her hair, pulling her away from the toilet and into his lap. She clutched at his shoulders, pressing her tear-stained face into his chest.

"Elena," he said, his voice full of concern. When she looked into his eyes, they were surprisingly tender. "How long has this been going on?"

She sniffed. "Since the beginning. It's never been this bad, though," she claimed.

"Here, let me go get someone," he suggested, starting to stand with her in his arms.

She shook her head vehemently. "No, no. Elijah will come. He'll know. Just…just don't leave me, Kol. Don't leave me alone."

He smoothed her hair back from her face, holding her closer to his chest. "No, of course not, Elena," he said with a frown. "I'll stay right here."

She felt her eyelids flutter, felt her body turn into goo and her mind go cloudy. She drifted off into oblivion.

"I'm here," she felt him whisper into her hair. Then the world faded away to nothing.

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**One of my reviewers asked how Elena could be sired to Kol but feel better around Elijah – in the next chapter the mystery of that will be revealed. Review, my lovelies!**

**xoxoxo**


	6. Chapter 6

"_What have you done to her?"_

"_What have _I_ done to her? What have _you_ done to her?"_

"_Being sired to you does not make her your property."_

"_You're damn right it does! I created her Elijah, and I swear, whatever hold you have over her, whatever you've done to make her like this – it ends now. She's mine."_

"_We'll see, brother."_

"Stop it, both of you! She is not a consolation prize, nor does she _belong_ to either of you. Stop acting like dogs with a bone."

Elena opened her eyes to the sound of Rebekah's sharp retort. She groaned when her stiff muscles creaked as she shifted on the couch. Four shapes were instantly by her side. She blinked as Kol's face came into stark relief, crouched down next to her head. He grabbed her hand.

"Kol," she breathed, squeezing his hand. His brown eyes were uncharacteristically concerned. She looked from him to Rebekah, who stared down at her with a raised eyebrow. Klaus hovered behind his sister, his eyes unreadable. She looked back at Kol. "What happened to me? How long was I out? Where's…" She swallowed, her throat dry. "Where's Elijah?"

"I'm here, Elena." She sighed in relief as Elijah sat down next to her feet at the foot of the couch, his hand resting on her ankle. The touch soothed any aches and pains in her body and cast a balm on her weary mind. "It's four o'clock in the afternoon. You've been unconscious for a few hours."

She smiled wanly at him. "You look pale."

He gave her a wry chuckle. "Yes, well, repeatedly loosing the contents of one's stomach can do that to you. You don't look so healthy yourself. How do you feel?"

She smiled at him. "Tired, but better now that you're here. So you were sick too?"

"Yes."

"It would appear that the two of you are…_connected_…in some way," Kol said icily, glaring at his older brother. "The nature of that connection remains to be seen."

Klaus's head cocked, a slow smile spreading across his face. "Feeling threatened, Kol? Afraid your sire bond isn't strong enough?" he teased.

Kol snarled. Elena tightened her hold on his hand, grounding him.

"Niklaus," Elijah warned quietly, "why must you insist on baiting him? One doesn't disturb the beast while it slumbers." He never took his eyes off his youngest brother, his gaze cool and calculating.

Kol's anger faded away under Elena's reassuring touch, and he snorted in amusement. "Are you making a jab at my character, big brother?"

"I was trying to be subtle about it, but yes," Elijah replied bluntly, his lips quirking amusedly. Something passed between the two brothers, a temporary understanding that had the competitive tension ebbing a little, at least for now. They were both too concerned for Elena's well being at the moment to be warring with each other.

She had a feeling that it wouldn't last long, but she would take what she could get, and milk it for all she was worth.

She sat up a little on the couch, rolling her neck and hissing as it popped. Kol swiftly moved to wedge a pillow behind her back, propping her up against the arm of the sofa. As comforting as his presence was to her – damned sire bond – she couldn't help but look at him warily. His attentions were touching, but unsettling. If he cared for her it would only make her feelings for him stronger, and she didn't want that.

As charming and sexy and intriguing as Kol was, and as much as she was tempted to delve into the complexities of his nature, he was not good for her. Her attraction to him, and her curiosity and desire to uncover the goodness in him, was not worth the pain and disruption he could bring into her life. He had already torn away a piece of her soul with his actions this morning.

Tears sprang to her eyes at the memory. She looked away from him, and was unable to meet Elijah's eyes because of the shame, so she settled on staring at Rebekah's shoes: an adorable pair of houndstooth flats that would have Caroline green with envy.

"You took advantage of my bond to you," she said softly, frowning.

Kol scoffed. "Well, yes. What's the fun in having a sire bond if you can't enforce it somehow?"

"You didn't enforce it, you _abused _it," she said angrily, tears wetting her cheeks.

"Come on, darling, you can't say that you didn't want it," he appeased.

"I didn't!" she snapped vehemently. "Just because I'm attracted to you doesn't mean that I wanted to sleep with you. People don't act on their feelings all the time, Kol. That lack of impulsivity – it's called self-control. But you wouldn't know much about that, would you?" she whispered, staring into his eyes. "You just do whatever you like."

He touched her hand. "Elena – "

"Don't," she said, snatching her hand away. Her voice was thick with tears. "You used me." She grimaced, squeezing her eyes shut. "And the worst thing is, no matter how much you violated my trust, I would do it again if you asked me to."

"Look at me." She brought her eyes to his sullenly. His eyes were dark with melancholy. "I won't do it again."

She held his gaze for a beat, surprised by the emotion she saw there. Then it was gone, and his eyes glinted mischievously as he smirked. "The next time you come to my bed, it will be entirely your idea." He looked over at Elijah mockingly. "Does that sound agreeable, brother?"

Elena cried out when Elijah bolted from his seat and punched Kol so hard it threw his brother forcibly against the wall. Kol hit it with a sickening crack of bones and slid down to the floor. He stood, grinning, and wiped blood from his chin. He held his arms out in invitation.

"Well come on then, Elijah," he challenged loudly, grinning, "let's have a go, shall we?"

Elijah snarled, his face transforming fully into his vampire visage. Elena realized belatedly that she had never seen his face like this before; it was both beautiful, and terrifying.

"Elijah – " Rebekah began, stepping forward, but Klaus stopped her with a hand on her arm.

"Leave them be, Rebekah," he said quietly, observing his two quarreling brothers with interest. "They've been itching to beat on each other for a while now."

The Original sister crossed her arms. "I suppose Kol deserves a good arse-kicking," she conceded.

Klaus snorted, his eyebrows shooting into his hairline. "You want to bet on that?"

Rebekah smirked. "If Elijah wins I want free pick of a bottle of scotch from your hidden collection. Any one I want."

Klaus scowled, but took the hand she offered. "Fine. Kol wins, and you tell me where that storage locker of yours is hidden. The one with all of our stuff from our days as humans, and all of Mum's things."

Rebekah hesitated, but then nodded sourly. "Deal."

Normally Elena would have watched the interaction with amusement, but worry clouded her senses as the two men she had come to care so strongly about in the last couple of days squared off against each other.

The thought of Elijah hurting Kol had her mind reeling with worry. But the thought of Kol hurting Elijah had her physically ill. She stood, ignoring Klaus's noise of warning and Rebekah's attempt to drag her back, and lurched forward to stand between the two.

She was panting. "Please, stop it," she implored, pleading with them. "Stop, I beg of you. I can't handle this right now…something is wrong with me." Weak, she dropped to her knees, her head swimming in confusion. She tangled her fingers in her hair. Elijah crouched down next to her, and she sobbed in relief at his close proximity, leaning into his body.

"I feel like I'm going mad, Elijah," she whispered, crying. "What is happening to me?"

"I think I may know the answer to that."

Elena's head snapped up in alarm, and the Originals were instantly on the defensive, veins surfacing beneath their eyes. Elena felt her own face change as a result of their hostility.

"Finn," Rebekah gasped, looking emotionally torn.

The second-oldest Original stood in the doorway to the living room, his hands behind his back and his face calm.

"Hello, brother," Kol hissed, his fangs bared.

"You have a lot of nerve showing up here, Finn, after what you did," Klaus snarled, his eyes glowing yellow.

"I come seeking forgiveness," the tall, handsome brunette said evenly, his eyes traveling around the room to land on each of his siblings. "I will not beg for it on my knees. I had my reasons for doing what I did. But they were the wrong reasons, and I was selfish. I want to be a part of this family again. I ask you to consider this."

Elena could see tears in Rebekah's eyes, but there was betrayal there, as well. She was hurt. "How can we trust you?"

"Where is Mother?" Kol asked gruffly.

"Mother is dead," Finn said softly, looking down at the rug. "She failed to do the task she was given by the spirits – and she gave up. She died this morning."

Rebekah let out a wretched sob, clamping a hand over her mouth to stifle the sound of her grief. Klaus seemed equally affected, his blue-green eyes shining with tears – he put an arm around his sister and pulled her close as she turned to him for comfort. Kol's dark eyes flashed momentarily and his hands flexed into fists. The only sign that Elijah was upset at all was a tic in his jaw and a brief tightening of his hold on her body. His eyes were hard. Somehow she felt for him most of all, because his control would not allow him to show the emotion she knew he was feeling.

He stood and pulled her upright, settling into an armchair with her on his knee. She was too tired to even care about the glares Kol was sending their way; it felt too good for her to move. She knew, somehow, that she was too weak to be away from him. As if he sensed her need for contact, he put a hand on her waist. She settled hers over his without thinking, relishing in his touch.

"Klaus, Kol, Rebekah – sit down, all of you," he ordered. "Finn, have a seat." He gestured to the armchair across from him. The brother who was just shy of four years younger than him, who he had been so close to, once upon a time – who he remembered holding in his arms the day their mother gave birth to him – sat perched on the edge, looking uncomfortable. "Now, before we get all tangled up in our dysfunctional family drama, tell us what you think you know about Elena."

"Yes, Finn, do tell," Kol said acidly. "Why is my baby vampire sick?"

"I can only guess – I cannot guarantee that I am right," Finn said softly. His dark brown eyes pierced Elena's. "Several years after we turned, I met a woman named Emilie. A vampire."

"Oh yes, I remember her," Kol said, grinning. "Pretty little French girl from my bloodline. You took quite a shine to her, if I recall."

"This was when we were in England, I presume?" Klaus drawled.

"Yes," Finn confirmed. "We were fond of each other. After a year of sharing a bed, she suddenly became ill."

"Nausea, headache, dizziness…" Elijah suggested.

Finn nodded. "The same symptoms Elena, and to a lesser degree you, have been experiencing. After a week of this, she insisted on traveling to Spain; naturally I went with her, worried for her health and her state of mind. When I asked her why she needed to go to Spain, she could not give me an answer. She herself did not know.

"With each day of our journey across the sea, her illness lessened. However, I could not lie with her without her getting violently sick afterwards."

"That must have been a blow to your ego," Kol joked.

"Yes, well, now that you've had the same experience, I guess you would know," Finn countered, his eyes cold as ice. He ignored Kol's snarl, and continued. "When we made land, we hired a carriage to take us to Salamanca. Upon arrival in the city she somehow knew immediately where to go – the home of a wealthy tradesman in the business quarter. His eldest son had only weeks before met with a terrible accident, and had somehow become a vampire.

"The connection was instantaneous. He had been sick as well; he said he'd been waiting for her, knew somehow that she was coming to him. Being with each other relieved the sickness. And when they lay together, they were completely healed."

"Did you stay and watch, Finn, or…?"

They all ignored Kol's scathing comment. Elena spoke up, confused.

"So…they had sex and that was it?" she questioned.

"Not exactly, no." At her intense look, Finn sighed. "A vampire I talked to in Spain – the young man's maker, although by accident – called it 'La Atadura.' It means tie, or tether."

"Or binding," Elena added, the five years of Spanish classes she'd taken coming back to her. "So it's a bond of some sort."

"Yes," Finn agreed, seemingly pleased with the quickness with which she caught on. "An eternal bond between vampires. I have never heard of it referred to in any other culture – although I was not given a whole lot of time to travel, considering I was daggered about a decade later – apparently it is extremely rare. So much so that it is practically unheard of. I assume none of you have heard of it, considering the blank look on your faces."

They all shook their heads. Elijah was frowning, deep in thought. Kol's eyes looked far away, as if trying to remember something.

Rebekah piped up. "I remember speaking to a woman from my bloodline once, around the time the existence of Katerina was discovered," she said. Klaus growled at the mention of the first doppelganger. "She was telling me about a teenage girl she'd turned a century ago, who had been dying from the plague. She said the new vampire was sick for months after she turned – and then she died."

"That's impossible," Klaus scoffed. "Vampires don't get sick and die."

"I didn't put any stock in it either, at the time," Rebekah agreed. "I just brushed it off as a tale. But now I'm wondering if it has something to do with this."

Elena blanched. "She died?"

"Keep calm, Miss Gilbert, it is something that can be easily avoided," Finn consoled. "According to the vampire I talked to in Spain, if the bond is ignored for too long, the affected parties will die. It may take years, or it can happen in weeks. Either way, they spend the entire time extremely ill. Now Elijah, you have nothing to worry about on that front, seeing as you cannot die. But you will spend the rest of your immortal life in complete misery. And, if Elena was to die, you would cease to function normally at all."

Elijah's face drained of color. "But Elena will die if the bond is ignored?"

Finn nodded solemnly. "I am sure of it. But in Elena's situation there is another complication, as you all know: her sire bond to Kol. I don't know this for sure, but my guess is the process is accelerated because of the two bonds warring within her body and mind. I would urge you to act fast, because she is obviously very sick, and it only seems to be getting worse."

"I feel better when I'm with Elijah," Elena said, grasping at straws. "Can't I just try to be near him as much as possible and it will keep the sickness at bay?"

Finn frowned. "That might work for a while, but eventually, Miss Gilbert, you will have to complete La Atadura with my brother." He looked at her sadly. "I do not think you will have a choice."

Elena looked down at her hands in shock.

"So…" Rebekah started, staring between Kol and Elijah. "Elena is sired to Kol; and now she's mated to Elijah?"

"Not yet," Finn corrected. "Not until they…copulate," he finished awkwardly, clearing his throat. "But that's the general idea, yes. It is unusual, and therefore we don't know exactly how this is going to work itself out." He looked at Elena. "Either way, you are going to have to make a decision, and then just see how it plays out."

Elijah tightened his grip on Elena's waist, fixing Kol with a cold stare. "You'll have to find a way to release her from the sire bond."

"Not bloody likely!" Kol sneered. "And I don't appreciate you putting her hands all over her like that. Elena," he commanded, "come here."

Helpless to disobey, she lurched forward off of Elijah's lap, stumbling towards Kol's chair. She dropped to her knees in front of him, her head spinning violently. Turning away, she retched, dry heaving – but she had nothing left in her stomach.

"Elijah," she panted. When Kol tried to reach for her, to comfort her, her face changed and she bit his hand, her fangs ripping into his skin. He yanked it away, hissing. "Elijah," she said again, moaning.

Elijah was by her side in an instant, holding her in his arms. Kol snarled at him, and Elijah bared his fangs threateningly.

"Enough, both of you!" Finn barked. "You disgrace this family."

Klaus spoke up, glaring at his younger brother. "Kol, your selfishness is going to get her killed. The two of you are tearing her apart. Resolve this; and do it now." He turned towards his sister. "Rebekah, why don't you take Elena upstairs?" he suggested quietly. "She doesn't need to be here to see this."

Rebekah nodded. Elena allowed the blonde to gently pull her from Elijah's arms; he let her go, but reluctantly.

"I'll be up after a while," he whispered reassuringly.

"Are you sure?" she asked timidly.

"I promise." He smiled at her, but his eyes were tired. She ran a hand over his hair before she let Rebekah lead her out of the room by the hand.

"So," she heard Klaus say from behind her as she left the room. "Sire versus mate – this should be fun."

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"Rebekah…might I have a moment alone with Miss Gilbert? I know Finn wishes to speak with you – he's in my study."

Elena turned in her seat, staring at Klaus over the back of the couch. Rebekah sat next to her, looking at her half-brother suspiciously, but slowly stood, nodding. She looked at Elena, and tucked the blanket more tightly around her body.

"I'll be back to check on you in a bit, yeah?"

Elena smiled at her. "Thanks."

When the Original sister was gone, Klaus shut the door behind him. "My sister has taken quite a shine to you, it seems." He set a glass of blood down in front of her.

She gave him a small smile. "Rebekah's a sweet girl."

He chuckled. "Never thought I'd hear those words come out of your mouth."

She sighed. "People change. They grow. It just goes to show you that what you thought you knew about a person…" She shrugged. "It turns out that, well, maybe you didn't know them as well as you thought."

Klaus smirked, staring into the fire. "People are complicated, multi-faceted creatures, aren't they?" he said quietly. "We like to believe they are only what we see, because it's easier to deal with the thought that there is only one side to them. And then, boom…everything changes."

She gazed at him thoughtfully, surprised by the depth of his musings. "Yes, I suppose so. We're no longer talking about your sister though, are we?"

He chuckled. "No. Go on then, drink up," he urged, gesturing to the cup of blood he'd set in front of her. "It's vintage. One of my best. I opened it just for you."

She cupped her hands around the glass, sniffing at it disdainfully. "Did you kill someone for this?" she asked suspiciously. She sipped at it anyway, unable to resist the allure. The thick red liquid was slightly warm, and tasted like heaven.

He rolled his eyes. "Nearly four hundred years ago, love. Nothing you can do about it now but honor that sacrifice," he said mockingly, raising an eyebrow.

She couldn't help but smile. "You're a piece of work, Klaus."

"So I've been told, sweetheart." He laughed, saluting her with his own glass. "So I've been told."

"What happened downstairs?" she asked curiously, trying to hide her worry. "It's been awfully quiet down there the past hour."

"Well, Kol is temporarily dead," he snorted. He scoffed at her horrified expression. "The key word here is _temporarily,_ love. Don't look so upset. Plus, this is Kol we're talking about; it's not like someone just slaughtered a kitten. Elijah just…lost his temper," he finished with a smirk.

She gaped. "Elijah did?"

"Why do you always look so surprised?" he asked skeptically, his eyebrows drawing together. "Elijah is not your loyal family _dog,_ Elena. He's the oldest vampire on earth. He's a predator. An Original. He is ruthless and cunning. And though he is loyal to his family to a fault, he certainly will not hesitate to take what he wants if he thinks he has the advantage. And, as it turns out, he wants you," he finished with a raised eyebrow.

"Because of the bond," she said quietly, her eyes downcast. "He doesn't have a choice."

Her head snapped up when Klaus laughed. It was a real laugh, like he was genuinely amused. "What's so funny?" she asked irately.

"Foolish girl," he snorted, shaking his head. "Elijah may not have a choice, but I can tell you he is _more_ than happy about it. Ecstatic, even. My brother has had feelings for you for a long time, Elena – even when you were human. He hid it well, but I could see how devastated he was when you walked back into that ballroom with Kol the other night after your little _rendezvous."_ She looked down sheepishly, ashamed. "Oh, don't worry Elena," he reassured her, "nothing on God's green earth could destroy Elijah's faith in you. In his eyes, you can do no wrong. Which is why you could not be a more perfect person for him to be mated to for all eternity."

She swallowed. "Eternity is a long time," she said, her voice small.

"It is," he agreed, sipping at his drink. "It's even longer when you're beholden to not one, but _two_ bonds. The question now is: when Kol wakes up and calms down, will he allow it? Or do you even need his permission? And it's not like he really has much of a choice; if he doesn't concede to letting you mate with Elijah, you'll die anyway – so either way he loses you. Tough decision." He shrugged, smirking at her. "This sire bond makes things a bit tricky, wouldn't you agree?"

She sighed, meeting his eyes. "What do you think will happen?"

His eyes were hard, but not cold. In fact, he seemed to be less than pleased with the position she had found herself in. The thought that he maybe cared for her warmed her heart a little.

"Honestly, I have no idea what sort of agreement they'll come to down there. I gave up on mediating; it's up to Finn, now, although he's taken a break as well as long as Kol is out," he said amusedly. "All I came up here to do is offer you a piece of advice."

She raised her eyebrow, her interest piqued. Klaus Mikaelson, offering advice? "And what advice would that be?"

"Simply this," he replied, walking over to put a hand on her shoulder. He stared deeply into her eyes. "Tread carefully, Elena – now that you are caught between two Originals, I think you will find it a precarious and dangerous place to be. Don't be fooled, love; you can't trust any of us."

And then he was gone, and she was once again alone with her troubled mind.

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Rebekah opened the door; the sight of her brother had her heart warming. She had missed him.

"Finn."

He smiled at her. Throwing aside her reservations, she rushed into his arms.

She felt his cheek against the top of her head, felt his hand stroke over her hair. "I'm so sorry, Rebekah. I never meant to hurt you. I was a fool."

She shook her head, sobbing into his shoulder. "No, I was a fool, Finn. I should have tried harder. I should have been better to you. I've been a terrible sister." Shame welled up in her heart, and tears poured from her eyes to soak his shirt. "I'm sorry. I failed you."

He shushed her, holding her close and rocking her back and forth. Finn, the brother who had always comforted her – Klaus was too proud, Kol too immature, Elijah too distant. Finn had always been the one there for her when they'd been growing up; he'd looked after her when she was sick, wiped her tears when she cried, cleaned her scrapes when she fell. He'd never been too proud to show her affection.

"Do you remember the first time I tried to teach you to ride a horse?" he asked gently, continuing to stroke her hair.

She giggled. "Cocoa. The mare. She threw me. You had to carry me back to the village." She sighed at the memory: horses running free in fields of wildflowers, the gurgling of a stream nearby, the sound of a woodpecker in the forest – Henrik laughing as Finn carried him on his shoulders. "Father was furious."

"Yes – Cocoa was not the right choice," he agreed, chuckling. "You sprained your ankle pretty badly, I believe." She nodded. "Do you remember what you said to me later, when you were resting after Mother put a poultice on you leg?"

"No. What did I say?"

"You asked me to take you out again tomorrow," he said amusedly. "And I pointed out that your ankle was sprained. And you looked at me like I was an idiot – you were about twelve at the time, mind you, and were already a smartass – and you said, 'Finn, I don't need my ankle to ride – I'll be on a _horse._ Duh.'"

She laughed, turning her head to rest her cheek against his shoulder. "I said that?"

"You did. And so I snuck you out the next day, and carried you out to the field, and we tried again, this time with Mr. Honey, and you did a great job."

"I remember that horse," she sighed against his shoulder. "He loved when I'd bring him wild apples from the orchard down near Swaneehaw Lake. Boring, but sweet as could be." She closed her eyes. "Do you miss being human, Finn?"

"All the time," he answered. "But then I haven't had centuries to come to terms with it like you have."

She pulled out of his arms and looked at him, tears in her eyes. "I don't think I've ever come to terms with it."

He sat down on the couch and pulled her down next to him, and she leaned her head against his shoulder. "I want this family to be whole again, Finn. I'm so tired of fighting. I want Nik to be satisfied with what he has, with our family; I want Elijah to stop being so uptight all the time and stop trying to take responsibility for everything; and I want Kol to come back to himself and stop being such an evil git all the time."

Finn wrinkled his nose. "He was always a brat, even when we were human."

She giggled. "Yes, but he was so much _fun._ He was the only one who ever got Father to loosen up a little. He could make all of us laugh."

"You should have seen the look on Father's face the day you were born," Finn said wistfully.

Rebekah stiffened. "You remember?"

He scoffed. "Of course I remember. We all took turns holding you; well, Kol tried, but he was only three so it didn't work out for him as well." He chuckled. "Father was…strange, that day. I don't think he knew how to handle having a baby girl. He kept carrying you around, muttering to himself, staring at you like you were some sort of god. He looked so confused, but he was so in awe of you. You were very quiet, as a baby; and you would go instantly to sleep when Elijah would sing to you."

"Elijah _sang_ to me?" she asked incredulously. "_Elijah_ did?"

He chuckled, his eyes closing as he remembered. "Often. Niklaus made fun of him for it."

She looked up at him, her eyes wide. "Tell me."

"Well there was this one time, when you were a few months old…"

**000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

**A little bit of drama, a little bit of fluff…just some filler before things heat up again ;)**

**Next chapter: Kol and Elena talk about their future…and Elijah can't keep his hands to himself. What will happen concerning the sire bond vs. the mating bond? Stay tuned!**

**xoxoxo**


	7. Chapter 7

**Thanks so much for all of the reviews! Y'all are great :) **

**On to chapter 7!**

**0000000000000000000000000000000000000**

"Elena wishes to speak with you."

Kol turned, clutching a glass of blood-infused whiskey in his shaking hand. "Oh?"

"Yes," Rebekah replied, rolling her eyes. "She's getting ready for bed. She doesn't feel well, but she feels well enough to talk."

He sighed, rubbing at his eyes. "Fine."

On his way out, Rebekah stopped him. She looked up at him with big, shining blue eyes. "Kol – I love you, you know that?"

He looked at her strangely, unused to displays of affection like this among his family. His heart clenched.

"I love you too, little sister," he said brusquely, the words feeling odd in his mouth.

The world had gone mad!

When she let him go he escaped upstairs, feeling decidedly uncomfortable. He let himself into Elena's room without knocking.

She was sitting on the edge of her bed in her pajamas, slathering lotion on her legs. The simple action was arousing to him – she could make him hard with only a look. Perhaps that was why he feared her so much: because she had such a hold over him, and she didn't even try.

She looked up when he entered, giving him a small smile. She scooted up to lean against the headboard and patted the bed next to her in invitation.

"See?" he said with a smirk, sauntering over to climb on to the bed. "I told you the next time we were in bed together it would be your idea."

She rolled her eyes, smacking him on the arm. It was very casual gesture; a motion between friends, something that was completely unfamiliar to him. He liked it.

"This," she said, motioning between them, "is strictly limited to conversation. I'm trusting you to keep your hands to yourself." He pouted, and she raised an eyebrow. "Plus, we've never actually _been_ in a bed. Against the wall, on the floor, in the shower, yes, but we've never been in bed together."

"Until now," he said coyly, climbing under the covers, hoping to get a rise out of her. "So," he said, looking up at her from underneath his eyelashes, "what did you wish to speak to me about? Wait let me guess: Elijah, mating, sire bond…did I miss anything?"

Her face turned solemn. She met his eyes, and the sadness there made his soul ache.

"I'm dying, Kol."

He stiffened. "This mate thing is a load of bull. You'll be fine."

She shook her head, laughing bitterly. A tear slipped down her cheek. He reached up to wipe it away tenderly.

"I can feel it," she whispered, shuddering. "It's like a cloud looming in the back of my mind. My body is falling apart, and I feel like my brain is rotting." She squeezed her eyes shut, more tears leaking out. "I'm losing my mind, Kol. And the more time I spend away from Elijah, the worse I feel."

He swallowed, sitting up to face her. He felt something in him break, seeing her like this. Confusion and pain welled up in his heart. He stroked a thumb over her temple, smoothing her soft hair back from her face. She looked deep into his eyes; he had never felt more exposed.

"I never wanted this for you," he whispered softly, his voice hoarse. "I had such an urge to kill you the night of the ball – whether to turn you or not, I did not want you to remain as you were. It's instinct for me, to take human life." She shuddered at his words. "And then you were talking to me, and I was looking into your eyes…and I knew it would be beyond evil for me to destroy something so good, so pure. I saw your soul that night, through your eyes. You hid nothing from me. And I thought, 'What on earth does this girl think she's doing, revealing herself to me like this? Doesn't she know that she's made herself vulnerable to the single most abominable person on the planet?' I could not decide if I admired you, or thought you were hopelessly stupid." He snorted, looking down, staring at a loose thread on the comforter. "But you stripped something from me that night, Elena. Something in me broke. While normally I would have reveled in breaking your spirit, in causing you pain, I found myself rebelling at the thought of hurting you. I knew…I knew if I killed you, that the world would have lost something precious."

He was surprised by his own words. He found it hard to meet her gaze again, after sharing such emotional thoughts with her, but when he did he could not look away. She was smiling at him. Normally seeing such compassion directed towards him made him balk.

"You set me free that night, in a way," she said. "I was afraid, the entire time, that you were going to kill me; that I had gotten myself in too deep. But then at some point along the way, I knew you wouldn't hurt me. You see, Kol," she continued, reaching out to grab his hand, "I know you."

"Oh?" he said skeptically, raising an eyebrow. "You have me all figured out, do you?"

"I don't think anyone will ever have you all figured out," she joked. She looked down at their joined hands, stroking a thumb over his knuckles. The light touch made him tremble. "I'm going to speak my mind now, if that's okay with you."

He hesitated, an ominous feeling coming over him, but he nodded nervously. "By all means."

She hummed, looking up at the ceiling, as if thinking carefully about what she was going to say. "I think you have spent so much time distancing yourself from your humanity that, over the years, you have become more and more intimidated by it. You're afraid, Kol. You're terrified of what will happen if you allow someone in. And I think you are afraid you won't be able to find your way back to yourself if you try."

His mind reeled as if it had been punched. His hands were shaking. Not wanting her to notice, he tried to pull away, but she gripped his hand so hard it hurt.

"Don't you dare pull away from me, Kol Mikaelson," she said sternly, her eyes narrowing. "You don't get to do that. Not this time."

He scowled at her. "I'm not afraid," he denied. His voice sounded weak to his own ears.

"Why are you under the impression that fear makes you weak?!" she exploded, her eyes locked passionately on his. "Fear is necessary. Fear makes you stronger, because it forces you to face yourself. When you deny that fear, run away from it – _that's _what makes you weak. You're afraid of your own fear. 'The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.' You missed that era – when FDR was president. No one really takes the time to think about that quote – it's sort of vague, one of those cryptic sayings that we don't have the energy to dissect; it just rolls off the back of the mind before you can really process it. But it is more relevant than we give it credit for."

"I'm afraid of you," he blurted out. He wished he could take the words back as soon as he uttered them. He looked down sheepishly.

"No," she said gently, squeezing his hand. "You're afraid of what I have to say. You're afraid of the fact that I'm making you question yourself." She put a hand under his chin, forcing him to look at her. "But questioning ourselves is necessary. It's essential for growth. After a thousand years, I think it's about time you face yourself, look in the mirror, and come to terms with who you are."

He snorted. "I'm a terrible person, Elena. I've come to terms with that."

She shook her head, a wry smile on her face. "You've done terrible things, Kol; that doesn't make you a terrible person. If it did, then none of us would be redeemable." She paused, her eyes solemn and compassionate. "Forgiveness is our greatest gift, Kol. It's also the hardest task we will ever have to face. I'll tell you now – every one of your family members, everyone important in your life, has forgiven you a thousand times over. Rebekah is crazy about you. Elijah has an entire chunk of his heart that belongs to you. Finn mentioned fondly that you were the happiest _brat_ of a child that ever was. And I know Klaus wants a better relationship with you. They want their brother back, Kol. But all of you are too proud, and live in fear of rejection. I don't think Klaus is the only one who doesn't want to be alone."

"But we are alone," Kol insisted, feeling miserable. All of the things she said were true.

"Why do you think that?" she whispered, her eyes narrowing on his. "I'm sitting right here, aren't I? And I'm not going anywhere."

"You're bonded to Elijah!" he exclaimed, throwing his hands up.

"So, what: I'm just going to jaunt off with him for the rest of eternity? Leave you and Rebekah and all of my friends behind? It doesn't work like that, Kol!" she said in exasperation. "As much as I enjoy Elijah's company, and as much as I know I'll come to eventually love him, if you think I'm going to be satisfied with just him by my side for centuries, you're _crazy._"

She grabbed his hands again, gazing into his eyes heatedly. "Yes, you've done _terrible_ things. Yes, you might be sadistic and self-centered and thoughtless. But that doesn't make you a bad person. I've _seen_ good in you, Kol," she said fervently. "No one has given up on you – especially not me. Never me."

The sheer intensity in her eyes, the wisdom in her words, had his throat constricting and his undead heart beating faster than it had in years.

"How are you like this?" he asked, his voice thick with tears that he could not shed. "How did you become this…this person? People suck, Elena. They let you down. Fate is a cruel mistress. You've had nothing but bad things happen to you since the supernatural took over your life. You were born as the doppelganger – you never had a chance for happiness. So why are you so damned optimistic?" he asked impatiently. He could not understand.

She laughed, tossing her head back. "I've had a wonderful life, Kol," she countered, beaming at him. "I was raised in a happy household; I never wanted for anything – not food, clothing, education, love, affection. I have friends and family who love me no matter what. I was blessed with a sound mind, a sound body, good health."

Her eyes went sad. "Yes, my parents were killed in a tragic accident, and my Aunt Jenna was murdered, and my biological parents died to protect me – but death is part of life. I was fortunate to have known them at all. You see, people just assume that we're all going to grow to live to a ripe old age – we make plans for school, a career, marriage, children, travel, retirement…we take life for granted. To people in third world countries, life is understood to be a precarious thing: a mosquito bite could mean malaria; in a country torn by civil war, a village is shot and killed by a group of rebels; a wild animal mauls a child. When they lose someone, they bury their dead, mourn, and move on. In our society, death cripples us. We don't think about the fact that any of us could die at any time. Even as a vampire, life is surprisingly fragile. You could get staked by a hunter, or another vampire could kill you – you never know what might be around the corner." She sighed. "I know you don't understand, because you cannot die – and a thousand years of pain and violence is sure to make you jaded, cynical. I get that, and so I know it doesn't make sense to you.

"But these miserable experiences – people being cruel to me or letting me down, being the doppelganger, losing people I love – these all make me appreciate the life that I have even _more._ This life has taught me to cherish the good things. Every moment is precious. Every experience, good or bad, is a lesson. Every person that enters your life helps you grow into the person you will be tomorrow, whether they have a negative or positive influence. Every time something knocks you down and you get back up, it makes you stronger. Every day you make yourself push past your fears and go on is a day you can be proud of living.

"You're right – fate is a cruel mistress. We have virtually no control over our lives, no matter how much we try. We cannot control our chemistry, our circumstances, or the connections we are born with – but we can control our _choices._ We can let our lives overwhelm us, or we can _choose_ to remake ourselves, strive to make the decisions that can change our lives for the better. I could wallow in my own misery, let it overtake me…but I _choose_ not to. I look at people who have it so much worse than me – people who have nothing – and I think 'If they can continue to function despite all of the sadness and horror in their lives, then surely I can, too.'

"I choose not to give up, Kol. I choose to hope. I try to see the good in everyone, to make the best of every situation, to take things in stride and be flexible. Becoming a vampire is not something I wanted right now. But I did my crying, and I came to terms with it. I'm not going to spend my energy wishing about what could have been, or go back and try to change it. I didn't want to be sired; but you don't see me throwing a tantrum, do you? And being mated to someone for the rest of my immortal life – not exactly something I was anticipating, either. But I will accept it as best I can. I wanted to have the option of bearing children, of someday having a family, of settling down and living out the rest of my days as a human. But I'm not going waste any time dreaming about who I would have married, what house I would've lived in, what my kids would have looked like.

"This is reality. I'm not going to whine about it. This is the life I have, and I'll be _damned_ if I'm not going to live it to the fullest. I want to be happy, Kol," she said, taking his face between her hands. "I want everyone I love to be happy. And I want _you_ to be happy. Sire bond or no sire bond, I feel connected to you. I care for you. I want to know you, to uncover your quirks, to hear about your past and your thoughts and dreams. Call me silly all you want – but as you said, I am hopelessly optimistic. It might make me a fool; see if I care."

"If the world wasn't full of fools like you, it would be a much darker place," he said, placing his hands over hers and turning his face into her palm. "You are an extraordinary person, Elena. I'm glad your vampirism hasn't changed you."

Her answering smile was radiant. "I hope not. And I hope I never lose sight of the things I've been blessed with – of the things I'm thankful for. I like to believe that people are _good._ Klaus said something very insightful earlier this evening: that people are complicated, multi-faceted creatures. That we sometimes choose to believe they are simply what we see on the surface, because it is easier to deal with the idea that there is only one side to them. He's right," she continued thoughtfully, her eyes far away. "We are all guilty of it. It's hard work to try to see past a person's actions; to strip away the façade they put up and uncover that which is underneath." She smiled wryly at him. "I used to think your sister was a vindictive, vengeful, shallow bitch. And in less than forty-eight hours she has managed to change my opinion of her. She is sensitive, kind, witty, and unfailingly loyal. With an incredible ability to hold a grudge and an unhealthy thirst for revenge," she added jokingly. "I'm fond of her. We are very much alike in many ways. It's funny what you can discover about a person under the right circumstances."

Moved by the things she had said, he spoke. "Elena," he said hastily, his eyes shifting nervously. "I will release you from the bond…but I don't know how."

She touched him on the arm, smiling. It was incredible how expressive her eyes were. They shifted and changed every moment; and there was never even a hint of dishonesty in them. She spoke with unflinching conviction, and she meant every word.

"I don't want you to worry about that," she said easily. "The sire bond is what it is, and I get the feeling it won't be broken so easily, if at all. What I want is for you to not abuse it. I am not your property, Kol. It's bad enough that I don't have control over my heart where Elijah is concerned; I need my mind to be my own – otherwise I might as well cease to be an individual person. Right now I'm being torn in two – split right down the middle." Fear and melancholy shone in her eyes. She swallowed. "If things continue on like this, I will cease to exist altogether."

"Then what do I do? As long as you are sired to me, I am going to feel possessive of you. The bond goes both ways, Elena," he warned.

"I understand that," she said, her mouth drawing into a thin line. "Show me that I can trust you. My feelings for you are…complicated; I don't know the scope of the connection I have with you. So I need you to stop using the bond to control me – because I don't know how much I would be willing to do for you if you asked me, and I don't want to lose myself." She swallowed, nervously meeting his eyes. "Sometime soon I will have to complete the mating bond with Elijah," she said softly. "I know you don't want to think it is real, but I can feel it, Kol. As sure as I am sired to you, I am connected to Elijah."

She paused, tears welling in her eyes. "I don't want to die, Kol," she said thickly, her gaze fearful.

Icy tendrils wrapped around his heart at the thought, squeezing.

If she were to die, his soul would shatter into a million pieces.

"I don't want you to die either," he admitted solemnly. "And you won't. I won't let that happen. Complete La Atadura with Elijah; after that gets squared away, we'll figure out how to handle balancing the two bonds. Okay?"

"Okay," she sighed. "After I've…slept…with Elijah," she said, wincing, "you'll no longer be able to touch me. Whatever this," she continued, gesturing between the two of them, "is, will have to stop. You'll have to limit your physical contact with me. As I understand it, mates are not allowed to be intimate with anyone other than their mate unless given express permission to do so, and Finn says he thinks it might have to be in the presence of the other mate…like a threesome, of sorts." She would not meet his eyes.

His eyebrows shot into his hairline. He could sense her embarrassment, could feel her body heat rise. A slow smile spread across his face. "Well, it's nothing Elijah and I haven't done before, darling. He might be willing to share," he said huskily. His head was already conjuring up torrid images, stirring his desire for her.

She gasped, looking up, her expression one of shock. "What?!"

He sniggered. "We're over a thousand years old, love; what did you expect? I've done it with every one of my brothers – several times – and even once shared a girl with my sister. Threesomes, foursomes, orgies…there likely isn't anything we haven't done."

Her eyes were wide. His hands went to her waist and he swooped in to brush his lips against her jaw, humming as he inhaled her scent. "Welcome to the family, darling," he whispered in her ear. He grinned at her intake of breath.

She pushed at his shoulders, forcing him off the bed. "Out," she said breathlessly. "Out, before I'm tempted to change my mind and then end up getting sick again. My stomach is already churning." She jumped off the bed, shooing him towards the door with a poorly concealed smile. "Go on then, out you go. Go back to your room and go to bed, and take your wandering hands with you, please."

He chuckled, letting her push him towards the door. He turned to face her, catching her elbows in his hands. "One last kiss before I go," he said softly, staring down into her face.

"Fine," she said reluctantly, placing her hands on his chest and standing up on her tiptoes. He cupped her face, bringing it to his, and brushed his lips against hers chastely. She parted her lips under his, sighing as he briefly dipped his tongue into her mouth. Her breath hitched as he slid his hands into her hair, deepening the kiss momentarily before reluctantly pulling back. To his surprise she clasped her hands around his neck and brought him down to her again, sucking his lower lip into her mouth. He groaned, nipping at her lips, tilting her head for a better angle. She whimpered, scraping her nails against the nape of his neck and moving her mouth frantically against his, searching for deeper contact.

He struggled to find his self-restraint, grasped desperately at the strings of his control. He desperately wanted to continue, to bring her indescribable pleasure and find his own sweet release within her supple body. But he knew he should not, _could_ not; it would only make her suffer.

So he dashed the traitorous thoughts from his mind, and tore himself away.

For her…because he loved her.

This time when he pulled away she let him go, letting out a shaky breath and running a hand through her hair.

"Thank you," he said in gratitude. Putting his hands on her shoulders, he placed a light kiss on her forehead. He lingered there for a moment, memorizing the feel of her so close to him, before he pulled away. "Goodnight, beautiful Elena."

"Goodnight, Kol," she said, smiling up at him. "See you in the morning?"

"Of course," he replied, opening the door and stepping out into the hallway. "I'll expect breakfast to be brought up to my room by nine o'clock. A pinch of sugar, no cream, in my coffee. And I like my bacon _crisp,"_ he said jokingly.

She shut the door in his face, and he grinned and strolled away down the hall, relishing in the tinkling laughter that came from behind the door.

A weight lifted from his chest, freeing him, and he went to find his sister.

He was long overdue for a hug.

**0000000000000000000000000000000000000**

**So I thought this would be my last chapter, but it ended up being way longer than I thought, so the next chapter will be the last.**

**Heavy Elejah smut coming up; can't say I didn't warn you. ;)**

**xoxoxoxo**


	8. Chapter 8

**So I saw this picture online just this morning – Elijah and Kol are standing next to each other and at the bottom there is a caption that says "Mikael was good for **_**something"**_** and I was laughing so hard…so true! I mean he may have been an evil bastard but he had some damn fine offspring. **

**Oh and I wanted to ask: is "Supernatural" worth watching? I have never really developed an interest in it, but I'm seriously considering watching the entire series (or at least read the plot line) just so I can watch this Tuesday's episode with Nate Buzolic and then pick up the spinoff "Bloodlines" from there. Because I **_**miss**_** him. I will take Nathanial in any way shape or form as long as I can see him on TV again. **

**I suppose I should add him to my extremely short list of celebrity crushes, bringing the count up to three. I'm quickly becoming as enamored of Buzolic as I am of Daniel Gillies and Danny Pino. The more I write of Kol or the more I watch (or re-watch; yes, I am guilty of YouTube stalking) things with him in it, the more I love his character. I think I will definitely be writing some more Kol fics – I don't think he was given enough time on the show, and I just think he deserves to be more explored as a character.**

**Alright, well, now that I'm done with my typical pre-chapter rambling: on with the show!**

**000000000000000000000000000000000000000 **

"_And you're sure you don't want to come home?"_

"Caroline, have you even been listening to a word I've been saying?"

"_Yeah I know I know, you can't leave because the stupid bond thing will make you sick. This is such bull crap, Elena!"_

She sighed, holding the phone to her ear. "I know, but there is nothing we can do about it. I have to see this thing through. I saw Elijah earlier, but it just wasn't enough. I'm still sick. And he is, too."

"_I'm so sorry you're having to go through this, 'Lena. I can't believe you got slammed with all of this as soon as you turned."_ She yawned over the line.

"Listen, let's get together tomorrow. Just come over after you get home from school. It's getting late, and I don't want to keep you up any longer." She sighed. "Just…don't worry about me, okay? I'll sort everything out. It'll be fine."

Caroline sighed dejectedly. _"Fine," _she grumbled over the line. _"I just hate this. Well, I'll see you tomorrow, Elena. I hope you feel well enough to get some sleep."_

Not likely, she thought as her head pounded. "Oh don't worry, I'm exhausted. I'll be asleep in no time," she lied. "Goodnight and sleep tight, Care. I love you. And I know you're stressed over this, but try not to chew off all of your fingernails!"

Caroline laughed over the line. _"I make no promises. Night, Elena. I love you too."_

The phone line clicked, and Elena turned hers off, putting it on her bedside table and settling into bed. Pulling the covers up and resting her hands on her stomach, she sighed.

It was nearly one o'clock in the morning. She really should try to get some sleep. Head pounding, she closed her eyes.

000000

_Hands, lips, tongue, teeth. Everywhere he touched her, she quivered. _

_It was like being on fire, like burning alive, but simultaneously being doused with cool, soothing water. He was a lesson in contradictions: he was slow and fast, gentle and rough, soothing and inflammatory. She could not keep up with the pleasure he was causing._

Elena woke with a start, her body burning. Arousal tingled between her thighs. Her brain had resumed its vicious hammering inside her skull. Sitting up, she felt a wave of nausea hit her.

"Okay, that's it," she muttered under her breath, climbing out of bed and shrugging on her robe. "I've had enough of this shit."

Yanking open the door, she flew down the hall, only to collide with a hard body at the top of the stairs. Someone grabbed her around the waist to steady her, keeping her from toppling headfirst down the steps.

She sighed in relief, looking up into a pair of familiar chocolate brown eyes.

"Elijah," she said quietly. All of a sudden, she felt nervous. "I was just coming to you."

"Funny; I was just coming to you," he responded, his voice husky with sleep – and desire.

"I'm tired of this," she breathed, pressing herself up against his body. Her breasts pillowed against his chest. She heard his breath hitch. "I want you, you want me…the longer we put this off the more miserable we become. I can't sleep, I can't eat, I can't _think – _I'm begging you, Elijah. I can't live like this anymore."

In half a second she was back in her room, the door shut and locked, and was sitting on the edge of her bed with him between her legs. She shuddered when one of his large hands stroked high upon her thigh, and the other speared fingers through her hair.

"I'll take that as a 'yes,'" she said breathily, running her hands over his impressive shoulders.

He dipped his head down to sniff her neck, much like he had done the day they'd met in that old plantation house. Except now she was not human, and she was no longer just the doppelganger, a means to an end. She was his mate.

He hummed, a rumble rising from deep within his chest that had her quivering in arousal. She could smell her own want between her thighs, and surely he could, too. She closed her eyes as he spoke, his voice sliding over her like silk.

"I never should have let you leave my bedroom that night. No matter," he purred, brushing his lips against the sensitive skin below her ear. "I'll make up for it now."

He pulled back to look at her, and she gasped as the hand on her thigh slid up to cup her sex through her thin cotton pajama shorts. His eyes were full of a heat she had never seen.

"I'm going to fuck you for hours, Elena," he warned softly. "In every way possible. And then I'm going to start all over again." He pressed his thumb against her clit through the material, and she whimpered as he circled it, once, twice, three times. "We'll be in here for days."

"What if we get hungry?" she panted; she was stalling him, because she was afraid. If he could make her react like this with just a touch of his hand, what would it be like when he was inside of her? She shuddered.

She hiccupped in surprise as he slid his fangs easily into the column of her throat, gulping down mouthfuls of her blood. She moaned as black dots spotted her vision and lust gripped her womb with an iron fist.

Taking his cue, she grabbed the nape of his neck and sunk her teeth into his jugular, the sweet ambrosia of his ancient blood making her head spin. With each pull she felt the coil in her stomach tighten, and when he added pressure to her clit with his thumb she came, the coil springing apart violently.

Embarrassment overtook her when she felt her fluids soak through her panties and shorts, but all rational thought flew out of her head when he ripped the offending garments from her body and plunged two fingers into her slick channel.

He hissed. "God, your pussy is _tight,"_ he said, pushing her to lie back on the bed as he knelt between her thighs, placing her legs over his shoulders. Face aligned with her womanly parts, he watched in fascination as he began to thrust his fingers deep within her cunt.

She panted, her hands fisting the bedspread. She watched him watch her; every time he did something different he would observe her reaction to it. It was only seconds before the tips of his fingers curled to hit that spot on her inner wall, applying delicious pressure to it as he continued to finger her.

"Ugh, Elijah!" she cried, helpless to stop the pleasure that had her toes curling. "Right there…"

"Right where?" he teased, avoiding the spot altogether. She groaned in frustration. "Right…there?" He pressed his fingers against it again.

"Yes!" she blurted, throwing her head back. "Oh, fuck, yes!"

She let out a low whine as he increased his pace, stimulating her inner bundle of nerves. She jerked in surprise when his tongue swiped over her clit.

Writhing in the pleasure of having both of her hotspots touched at once, she screamed as he latched his lips over her sensitive bud, sucking until she came, hard. Her orgasm slammed into her and she moaned his name as he ravaged her without mercy, working her with his tongue and fingers to draw out her climax. Her juices gushed out between her legs, and he lapped at her slit like she was a particularly tasty popsicle.

He stood up and leaned forward, slanting his lips over hers in a chaste kiss that soon turned into anything but. Her tongue tangled with his as they fought for dominance. She could taste herself on his tongue. Every one of her heightened vampire senses was overwhelmed with feeling.

She pushed his pajama pants down with her feet, widening her legs so that he could settle more comfortably in between them. When she grabbed his cock in her hand, they both groaned.

She ran her thumb over the tip of his penis. It bucked under her hand, rock hard and ready.

"I need you inside of me," she whispered, pulling his body towards hers.

He growled and leaned back. Gripping her thighs in a hold that would have left nasty bruises if she had been human, he spread them almost painfully wide, as far as they could go, and aligned his massive cock up with her opening. She was expecting a slow glide of skin on skin, but he canted his hips and entered her in one swift thrust.

She gasped at the intrusion. She felt warmth spread from her womb throughout her body, causing her skin to tingle pleasantly.

She watched him as he let his head fall back, his eyes closed, his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed. She had never seen him look so vulnerable. He shuddered. When his eyes snapped open and his gaze locked on hers, she had never seen such intensity.

She squeezed her center around him intentionally, grinning at his reaction. His eyes went wide, and he grunted.

"Minx," he growled.

She rolled her hips against his. "You bet," she ground out through gritted teeth. "But this minx is getting a little impatient, so if you don't start moving, things are going to get ugly."

He gripped her hips, holding her still, and her breath hitched as he gave her a toothy, predatory smile, exposing his slightly pointed canines. She tried to wriggle under him, but she was not strong enough to overpower him.

"It seems my little brother has spoiled you, Elena," he said silkily. "But instant gratification isn't everything." She moaned as he slowly drew out of her, keeping her hips pinned to the bed and her thighs spread wide. Then he plunged back in with one sharp thrust, his sly grin never sliding from his face. "Sweet, slow torture is so much more fun." Thrust. "You see, Kol never truly learned how to pleasure a woman." Thrust. "I know this, because I've shared many women with him throughout the centuries." Thrust. "While he may have skill in the bedroom, he's not _thorough_ enough." Thrust. "He's far too selfish." Thrust.

"And you're not?" Elena ground out, irritated at his assessments of her sire and former lover but unable to truly protest in the face of such incredible bliss.

He chuckled, and shifted her hips upward off the bed before slamming into her, shoving his thick length into her tight cunt. The new angle and the force of his movement made her vision go black for a moment. She held tight to the coverlet, accidentally tearing the fabric with her new vampire strength.

"No." He set a steady, moderate pace, hitting her deep and hard. He leaned down momentarily to suck on one of her nipples through the thin fabric of her tank top, and she gasped. "I am going to show you unimaginable pleasure, Elena," he whispered sensuously, dragging his mouth up her chest to press open-mouthed kisses along her neck. She whimpered.

Elena threw her head back as he proceeded to do just that.

"Fuck, yes, Elijah…" She bucked her hips, desperate for him to increase his pace. The heat burning low in her abdomen was growing more intense. "Please, faster…"

He laughed darkly. "I don't think so," he replied nonchalantly, continuing to pound into her at a steady pace. The depth and force of his thrusts were consistent.

It was maddening.

"Please!" she begged, sounding pathetic to her own ears. But she needed him to move faster. The building pressure in her womb demanded it.

"No," he responded. He smirked down at her.

"I swear Elijah," she moaned through gritted teeth, "if you don't pick up the pace, I'm going to hurt you. You're really starting to – oh! – piss me off." She tried to roll her hips up, but his grip was ironclad.

"You're a little demanding, aren't you?" he asked snarkily. He bared his teeth. "You can't make demands of someone who's stronger than you are, sweetheart. Doesn't work that way."

She whined in frustration, arching her back off the bed. She felt her stomach start to tighten, felt the heat in her belly start to become unbearable. "How about we come to some sort of arrangement, then? We have a history of negotiating, don't we?" she asked, trying to appease him.

He smirked. "This _is_ the arrangement, Elena. You're my mate – and I just happen to be physically stronger than you, so you don't really have a choice. You don't have anything to bargain with right now." He gave a particularly hard thrust, teasing her with the possibility of more. "Besides, might I remind you that our negotiations have never worked?"

"They could have, if you weren't such a –"

Before she could finish she was gasping as his thumb vibrated against her clit with inhuman speed, and her pleasure built to an impossible high before it exploded inside of her, bathing her in indescribable ecstasy. Her body tensed and arched off the bed, her thighs trembling, as she came harder than she ever had before. She keened loudly, her fingers ripping the bedspread and the mattress as she searched for purchase, desperate for some sort of stability as her body shook apart.

She stepped off of the roller coaster of her orgasm, sighing as he pulled her up to once again sit on the edge of the bed. He kissed her languidly, stroking his tongue across hers sensually. She hummed against his mouth.

"You were saying?" he murmured, breaking away from her mouth to nibble on her ear.

"Nothing," she answered, gasping for breath as her heartbeat struggled to resume its normal pace. "I didn't say a thing."

He hummed in approval. She stared up into his eyes, losing herself in their chocolate depths. It was hard to think that this man belonged to her for all eternity. He was smart, noble, and sexy as hell, and he was all hers.

"That's what I thought." He gave her a shark-like grin. It was then that she noticed that his erection was still rock hard, semen leaking from the tip. She had to admit, the man's self-control was…impressive.

She sent a coy smile his way, slithering off the bed and walking over to the dresser. With a newfound self-confidence, she pulled her tank top over her head and bent over the wooden piece of furniture, meeting his eyes through the mirror. The heat in his eyes intensified tenfold, and she delighted in the way his mouth parted in surprise and hunger.

She quivered in anticipation as he stalked towards her, his gaze predatory. She never took her eyes from his reflection in the mirror, fascinated with his masculine beauty. A muscle ticked in his jaw as he stroked a finger over a buttock and down the cleft of her ass. She jerked as his thumb pressed firmly against her puckered back hole and his fingers traced a path down her slit before he slid two of them inside her dripping cunt. Her inner walls closed down snugly over his digits, craving something bigger.

She moaned as he twisted his wrist and screwed his fingers deep within her, and shuddered – pleasure warring with embarrassment – as he slipped his thumb inside her tight asshole, keeping the pressure gentle. The evidence of her renewed arousal dripped down between her thighs and coated his hand.

She was panting now, pleasure building in her stomach. "Please, Elijah," she pled, thrusting her ass back against his hand.

"Mmm," he hummed, his eyes perusing her stark naked, bent-over form. He continued to pump his fingers slowly between her legs. His free hand snaked around her front, and his index finger circled her clit, teasing but not touching. She groaned in frustration.

"You have no idea how long I've wanted to see you like this," he purred, scraping his fingernail briefly across her clit with maddeningly light pressure before his digit resumed its teasing. "Bent over for me with your pussy on display like this. It's hotter than I ever imagined. Think about how amazing my dick will feel inside of you when I fuck you like this, Elena."

If she had been human, her cheeks would have been flaming red. As it was she let her head fall forward onto the table, hiding her embarrassed eyes from him. His _hands_ – fuck, they were incredible.

"Elijah," she panted. She gasped when his finger swiped her clit again, this time a little rougher, and a sudden wave of concentrated arousal sent fluids gushing from between her legs.

"Hmm?" he hummed nonchalantly, rubbing her clit in languorous circles. "Something you want, dearest?" The arrogant smirk on his face was infuriating.

She growled, training her eyes angrily on his through the mirror. "I want you to fuck me. Stop teasing."

He chuckled. "Very well," he consented, pulling his hands from her sex and grabbing hold of her hips. His thumbs kneaded her backside, spreading her cheeks wide to give him an uninhibited view of her sweet pussy. She held her breath as she felt the head of his straining cock at her entrance, and exhaled shakily as he began to slide into her, working his way inch by inch into her snug sheath. They sighed simultaneously when he was buried to the hilt.

"Fuck, you're tight," he hissed, pausing momentarily to let them both adjust to the awesome feeling. "You feel incredible, Elena."

"So do you," she whimpered. She cried out as he withdrew from her slowly and then slammed back into her, the tip of his cock hitting her womb. In this position it felt like his length reached halfway up her spine.

Like before, he was patient, methodical, thorough – he moved at a painstakingly leisurely pace, withdrawing torturously slowly and then shoving himself back into her roughly, hitting her deeper each time. His eyes flickered between meeting her smoldering dark orbs in the mirror and gazing at the tantalizing sight of their bodies joining, his fingers spreading open the cleft of her bottom so he had a clear view.

She nearly wept in pleasure and gratitude when, after minutes of his tormenting unhurried thrusts, he finally began to move faster, his hips slamming into her buttocks as his pace quickened by increments until he was hammering into her brutally. She keened loudly at the onslaught, her body climbing higher and higher towards the inevitable peak of her climax.

His hands let go of her hips in favor of grabbing her shoulders, pulling them towards him so that her back arched, causing her to wail in pleasure as his angle changed. One hand captured her wrists behind her back, allowing him ultimate control over her body. She struggled against his hold, needing more and intending on taking it, but he was too strong. She sobbed in frustration, overcome with the most intense desire she had ever felt.

"Elijah! _Please!"_ she implored, pressing her cheek flat against the surface of the dresser.

"Please what?" he asked in jest – but she could hear the strain in his voice.

"Please make me come," she moaned, closing her eyes as hot tears of blissful agony threatened to fall. "Harder, Elijah. Please."

His response was immediate; he launched instantly into vampire speed, starting to piston his hips at a rate that had her nearly screaming in rapture. He rammed into her viciously, the force behind his thrusts almost painful.

She was an incoherent, babbling mess; any semblance of sanity had been replaced with complete and utter ecstasy, so intense that it was destructive. She sobbed, begging for him to stop, continue, slow down, speed up – she didn't know. She felt herself hurtling towards the edge of bliss.

Her orgasm was violent, a surge of white-hot pleasure slamming through her body as his cock continued to plunge into her from behind. She screamed when his finger found her clit once again, expertly rubbing it to prolong her climax and make it that much more intense. Tears leaked from closed eyes as spots of light burst behind her eyelids. Body shuddering uncontrollably, she tumbled into ecstasy; with every slam of his dick into her pussy and vibration of his finger against her sensitive bud, her nerve endings sizzled and caught fire like dynamite fuses.

"Let go, Elijah," she managed to say, her voice strained and weak. "Come inside of me."

He shook his head, breathing hard. She had never seen his composure crack like this; his cool façade had been torn down by the intensity of their coupling.

"Not yet," he ground out, his jaw clenched. His eyes were nearly black now, clouded with lust.

"Oh my God, you're insatiable," she insisted, exasperated. Her body felt boneless.

He grinned, pulling his hard cock from her wet core. "Only when it comes to you, darling. I can't get enough of you."

She shrieked in surprise when he grabbed her body and whooshed them over to the giant bed in a split second. Her head was spinning, from her recent orgasm and being twirled in his arms so quickly. He lay down on his back and positioned her over him, lifting her in an easy show of strength to straddle his face. She felt extremely vulnerable in this position, with his face lined up with her slick womanhood. But all mortification flew from her head as he pulled her down to his mouth and began to devour her cunt with boundless enthusiasm. She gasped as his tongue slipped inside of her, delving impossibly far into her tight channel.

She seemed to have no control over her own body. Ashamed, but unable to stop, she gyrated her hips, grinding herself against his face; he didn't stop her, merely continued to attack her with relish. One of her hands reached up to steady herself against the headboard, while the other delved into his thick hair, caressing his scalp. Her juices covered his chin and mouth. Her body tingled in response to his ministrations. She bucked her hips against his face as he latched his lips over her clit and sucked.

When he had her moaning uncontrollably he shifted, scooting up to prop himself up slightly against the mountain of pillows at his back. He pulled her down to settle over his hips, and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. A smear of her juices still remained on his chin and she leaned down to lick it off, tasting her own essence. He moaned and captured her lips in a searing kiss, twirling his tongue around hers and sucking her bottom lip into his mouth. He released it with a pop, staring into her eyes and brushing an errant lock of hair from her face.

"Ride me," he ordered, his voice soft but commanding. Powerless to deny him anything – and not wanting to – she rested her hands on his shoulders, pressing him further back into the pillows, and lowered herself down onto his cock.

Oh. _God._

Using her knees as leverage and allowing him to support her with his hands on her hips, she began to move over him, rolling her hips in a sensuous glide, gazing lustfully into his dark eyes as she did so. She was captivated by his intense stare. Her lips parted in bliss as he guided her movements, pulling her forward to rock against his hips languidly. The pace was slow but steady.

Now she truly took La Atadura seriously – there was no doubt in her mind that they were made for each other. Their bodies fit together like pieces of a puzzle, moved together in perfect tandem. Anyone watching them would have thought they had been doing this together for years, so easy was their rhythm.

With every forward movement of her hips her clit bumped against his abdomen, sending delicious tingles throughout her body. Warmth spread from her womb, soon turning into an intense flaming heat that burned wildly through her abdomen. As a human she would have been exhausted and unable to continue with her steady pace, but as a vampire she was able to pick up the pace, moving more quickly. His breath hitched, and he matched her movements, pulling her more forcefully against his body, angling his hips to allow himself deeper penetration and making sure the sensitive pearl between her legs hit his pubic bone more firmly with every thrust.

She let out a low whine. His cock felt so incredible inside her, its thickness and length filling her completely. She felt…stuffed. She felt whole; it was almost like she had been missing an arm her entire life and had been totally oblivious to it. He was like an extension of herself – body and soul – and now that she had found him it was already impossible to imagine a life without him.

"Elijah," she gasped, fire burning low in her belly and rapidly spreading to her extremities. "Oh God, Elijah."

He hummed deep in his chest, rocking her harder back and forth on his cock. She arched her back when he leaned forward and swirled his tongue around a nipple, pressing her breasts firmly against his magically talented mouth. He moved to the opposite nipple, gently scraping his teeth against it and then soothing it with his tongue. She jolted when he closed his lips over it, suckling at it with firm and relentless pressure; a bolt of tingling pleasure ran up her spine, contributing to the acute desire that coursed through her body.

Every sensation was heightened, a hundred times more intense than it had been when she was human. Every squeeze of his hands, every flick of his tongue, and every thrust of his cock into her sopping wet heat had her moaning in blissful ecstasy, overwhelming her keen vampire senses and flooding her body with feeling.

He leaned back and encouraged her with gentle pressure on her waist to arch back away from him; she placed her hands on his thighs, rocking forward on his lap at a speed that was just a tad too fast to be feasible for a human. She groaned as he palmed her breasts, kneading them in his large hands, before skimming his callused palms down her slim waist and grasping her hips, once again aiding the rolling motion of her movement and encouraging her to move even faster.

His breathing was labored, and she was panting, her desire reaching new heights. He began to thrust up into her, meeting her halfway as she pushed herself down onto him.

"So tight," he breathed, staring at the place where their bodies joined. He slid a thumb over to press against her clit, rubbing the engorged bundle of nerves in rapid circles. He simultaneously jerked her down extra hard onto his cock, grinding his length into her to hit her g-spot, and the ball of heat in her womb exploded abruptly.

The orgasm hit her swiftly, but it lasted twice as long as her previous ones, drawn out by his thumb's unyielding pressure on her swollen clit. She barely noticed him flip her over and kneel between her thighs, sitting back on his heels as he continued to pound into her ruthlessly. He bent her knees and hooked them over his elbows, reaching around with one arm to resume his assault of her throbbing clit.

She keened loudly, throwing her head back and closing her eyes as her climax reached its peak, stars bursting behind her eyelids. Shockwaves detonated within her with each thrust of his hips, blasting her nerve endings with searing heat.

"No," he said, his voice strained with tension. "Look at me, Elena."

Her eyes snapped open, struggling to focus on his face while under the influence of such tremendous desire. She honed in on his sharp gaze, her eyesight blurry with tears of ecstasy. She drowned in his smoldering brown eyes, losing herself in their glittering, blazing depths.

A thousand sensations surged through her body, overwhelming her heightened senses. Every plunge of his cock into her drenched pussy had pleasure rushing through her trembling body, her undead heart leaping within her chest. The copious fluids from her powerful orgasm poured from her pulsating core as the head of his impressive cock hit her inner bundle of nerves and his fingers manipulated the over-sensitized bud at the apex of her thighs.

"_Elijaaaah!"_

She screamed as she flew apart under him, staggering, mind-blowing ecstasy crashing through her body. She felt like she was being destroyed, burned by the fire of her own pleasure. She sobbed, her legs quivering violently as she shook apart. She held onto the bedspread for dear life as he slammed into her core with brute force, his hips battering hers at inhuman speed.

She watched his eyes glaze over with his impending release. Eventually the feeling of her tight pussy clenching around his straining cock was too much for him to handle, and he pulled her thighs wide, watching her in rapture at his own orgasm hurtled into him.

"Elena," he groaned, his grip on her hips bruising as his pleasure exploded within him. He hissed, gritting his teeth as he shot his seed into her womb, its warmth bathing her inner walls. The cords in his neck bulged and his pectoral muscles quivered as his cock pulsed forcefully within her core and she milked him of his essence.

It was then that they felt it – a great weight lifted from their bodies, all tension dissipating completely. They both moaned in chorus, closing their eyes as an incredible relief washed over them, instantly bathing them in a soothing coolness.

Peace. Tranquility. Harmony. Liberation.

They both sighed in tandem. He rolled off of her, lying on his back with his arms folded behind his head. She turned onto her side, slinging a heavy arm across his midsection as her heartbeat slowed back to its undead rate.

She laughed in relief. "Thank God. Ugh. That was…"

"Amazing," he finished, moving one of his arms from underneath his head to lace his fingers with hers on top of his stomach. He closed his eyes, humming. "I feel so much better. No headache, no nausea, none of that obnoxious ringing in my ears," he said irritably. He sighed and then turned his head to look at her. When his eyes met hers, they felt the connection of their bond.

"I can feel you," she whispered. "Your presence – it's there in the back of my mind. It's comforting." She paused, leaning forward to brush her lips over his in a chaste butterfly kiss. His eyes fluttered closed. "I like it," she admitted softly.

His eyes fluttered open again. She smiled at him. He smiled back.

"I like it, too," he returned. He snaked an arm underneath her, pulling her closer. She snuggled into his side, pressing her face into the firm flesh of his sculpted chest. He smoothed a hand down her back, sliding it over to rest on her waist.

She shivered, her body responding instantly to his touch. She tilted her head to look at him, catching the spark in his eye. She untangled her fingers from his; she slid down to caress the skin of his thigh, testing him. He inhaled sharply. When she reached over to skim a finger over his cock, it bucked under her touch and hardened immediately.

Her womb stirred with arousal. She gave him a sly smile. "Again?" she asked coyly, looking at him from underneath her eyelashes.

"If you insist," he replied cheekily. He brushed his lips over her jaw, his tongue darting out to taste her. His hand skimmed over the tender flesh of her buttocks. She quivered in anticipation. "Shower?" he murmured.

She purred in approval. "God, yes."

Sweeping her up into his arms, he carried her to the bathroom.

They stayed in Elena's room for four days.

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**Alrighty, so I decided to write a short epilogue because I felt like it would be better as a separate chapter than as an addition to this one. **

**Review if you feel so inclined, and stay tuned!** **:)**

**xoxoxo**


	9. Epilogue

_**39 years later, Lacoste, Provence, southern France**_

Elena woke with a groan, yawning. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out the morning sunlight that streamed through the window. She did _not_ want to wake up. She'd gotten far too little sleep last night.

Courtesy of the two men she was currently sandwiched between.

Irritated, she jabbed her elbow back into the ribs of the person behind her, earning a grunt from her bedtime companion. Similarly she poked a finger at the bare chest of the man that lay facing her, and was rewarded with two hazy brown eyes fluttering open; they instantly squinted, faced with the bright morning sun.

"Which of you two idiots left the curtains open last night?" she asked gruffly, blinking her eyes rapidly to clear them of fog and adjust to the light.

The man behind her huffed and slung an arm over her waist. The weight was comfortable and familiar to her, and she laid a hand over his, sighing in pleasure despite her irritation. She could not see his face, but she knew the expression he wore.

"Why are we the ones responsible?" he asked petulantly, propping himself up on his elbow. "Why didn't _you_ close the blinds last night?"

She turned her head and came face to face with her sire, who was peering at her with groggy eyes. He shot her a lazy grin and she smiled at him in return, unable to resist his boyish charm.

"Kol, don't you have a plane to catch?" she asked, twisting and leaning forward to give him a quick peck on the lips.

Kol frowned. "Yes," he grumbled. "I really, _really_ don't like Los Angeles."

Elijah hummed, stirring on her other side. He scooted up to lean against the headboard, his torso bare to her appreciative gaze, a sheet the only thing covering his lower body. He absentmindedly stroked a hand through her hair – she sighed, turning her head into his comforting touch.

"Then why are you going?" her mate asked, raising an eyebrow at his younger brother. "What calls you to Smog City?" His voice was husky with sleep.

Kol gave a slow smirk – the one she knew meant nothing but trouble. He smoothed a hand over his rebellious hair, and she watched appreciatively as the muscles in his arm bulged and flexed.

Damned Originals and their damned good looks.

"Kol," she warned, narrowing her eyes at the mischievous gleam in his dark eyes. "I know that look. What are you hiding?"

He pulled his arm from her waist and sat up to lean against the headboard like his older brother, letting the back of his hand trail over her shoulder casually. She flipped onto her back, resting her head comfortably on the pillow in between the two Originals.

Kol shrugged, casting a sidelong look at Elijah, who was also staring at him suspiciously. "I'm meeting a witch."

Elena felt her stomach flip. "This witch in particular wouldn't happen to be my niece, would it?"

His sly grin told her all she needed to know. She sat upright, twisting to face him as she held the sheet to her naked chest.

"If you in _any_ way hurt Gabriella, so help me God I will make you suffer for weeks," she said furiously, seething. "She's too young to be screwed over by you, Kol."

His smug smirk made her even angrier. "What are you so amused by?!" she screeched. "I'm serious, Kol!"

"And so am I," he drawled carelessly, raising a disdainful eyebrow at her. "It's been almost 40 years, Elena. What do I have to do to prove to you that I'm not such a bad person?" he asked quietly, his eyes steady on hers.

She looked down guiltily. He really wasn't – after she'd become a fixture in his life, his transformation had been swift. He still struggled to control certain urges – Kol would always be Kol, after all, and some things would never change – but he had mellowed out a lot over the years and was a vastly different person from the one she had met at the Mikaelson ball all those decades ago.

"I'm just…worried. As much as you've changed and as much as I love you, you can't deny that your womanizing tendencies have hurt a lot of people. She's only 25, and I don't want her to fall victim to another one of your schemes. You know I'm right, Kol," she added pointedly as he opened his mouth to protest.

"Alright then," he said slowly. "Would it make any difference if I told you I already talked to Jeremy and Bunny about it? I have their approval, albeit reluctant." He smiled in satisfaction.

Elijah mumbled something about how Bonnie would kill him if she heard him refer to her as "Bunny," but Elena ignored it, too dumbfounded to take notice.

"_Bonnie_ did?" she asked incredulously. "I mean, I can understand Jeremy – he trusts you, for some weird reason – but _Bonnie?_ How on earth did you manage that one?"

He shrugged. "Well, I argued some good points. And if there is one thing Bonnie can appreciate and that can override her pride, it's logic. I pointed out that I, as a feared and generally hated Original, can offer her the best protection – no one would dare touch her whilst by my side. I can offer her an infinite number of opportunities; I can show her the world and teach her many things. I would never hurt her – first and foremost because I like her, and secondly because I could never get away with it without having you, Elijah and your family gunning for me. I don't want to incur that wrath, believe me. Plus, Elena, if it hasn't occurred to you over the past forty years: I _care_ for you. Your opinion matters to me. And I've come to relish these little trysts the three of us have every so often, and I have no desire to see them come to an end." He smirked as he gestured between himself, his brother and her. "I also reminded them that I am extremely persistent and not the most patient of men, and I almost _always_ get what I want. They were very agreeable, actually."

Elijah snorted behind her, the sound that meant he was caught somewhere between skepticism and amusement. She was at a loss for words.

Kol smoothed her hair back at the temples, tucking an errant strand behind her ear in an uncharacteristically tender gesture. He never ceased to surprise her, even after all this time; she had a feeling he would still be surprising her in a hundred years, even a thousand. The man was an enigma.

"Take a deep breath and relax, darling," he said, his tone light. His eyes sparkled with mirth. "If your eyes bug out of your head any more, I'll have to pop them back in. Don't worry – I don't have any nefarious designs towards your niece. I'm rather fond of her. She reminds me a bit of you," he continued, smiling. Then he grimaced. "Although she definitely inherited a few too many traits from her mother."

This caused Elena to grin.

"She won't make it easy on you, you know," Elijah pointed out, amused by his youngest brother's attachment to the little Gilbert-Bennett witch.

"Oh I'm counting on it," he agreed, stroking a hand over her hair in a brief show of affection. There was a far away look on his face, suggesting that his mind was somewhere else; most likely with a petite dark-eyed beauty with warm caramel skin and a sharp tongue.

She watched sadly as he rolled out of bed, standing and striding across the room, unashamed of his nakedness. He was leaving again…as he always did. She knew Kol avoided spending too much time with her because he did not want to provoke her mate. He once quoted the words Elijah had used so long ago in reference to him: "One doesn't disturb the beast while it slumbers." He'd kissed her on the forehead then, as he tended to do when they parted ways, and had looked at her regretfully.

A lot of the time she found herself wishing Elijah would let his brother stay longer. For while her lover would never impose restrictions on her time with Kol _out loud_ – not wanting to officially tread on her right to make her own choices – it was an unspoken rule that the younger Mikaelson was allowed contact with Elena when, and only when, Elijah permitted it.

It stung sometimes, the feeling that someone had, for all intents and purposes, complete control over her life. Sometimes she missed the freedom of her human life, not beholden to any bonds or subject to anyone else's rules. On occasion she found herself resentful of Elijah; sometimes she felt like he took advantage of the mating bond, even if his intentions were honorable. And as noble a man as he was, he had spent a thousand years as a dominant, all-powerful vampire that was used to getting his way. It was a hard mold to break, and she couldn't help but be frustrated with his arrogance.

But Lord, did she love him. He had effectively made it so that even without the bond she would never be able to live without him. He had charmed his way into her heart, mind, body and soul. And she would never regret her bond with him, or the time she had spent with him. For the most part, their relationship was a healthy one.

But Kol still remained an issue.

Her maker still had a strong hold over her – she didn't think that would ever change, no matter how many years elapsed. Over almost four decades their connection only seemed to grow stronger. While La Atadura was the dominant influence, trumping the sire bond, she still felt a very tangible pull towards the vampire whose blood had created her. She had stopped thinking of it as a problem, though; she trusted Kol, when it came right down to it. He would never intentionally use their bond to his advantage – not anymore.

Elijah was very possessive, however; she had known he would be like this before she chose to bond with him, but it had been a hard pill to swallow. It had only been ten years ago, after three long decades of brief, platonic meetings, that he had finally invited Kol into their bed. The couple periodically invited him to stay a few days with them here and there, a handful of times a year, and he never turned down the chance to be close to her.

It hadn't taken long before she and Elijah had realized that Elena could go no more than four months without seeing her sire, and however much it grated on Elijah's nerves or wounded his pride as her mate, he could not deny her contact with his little brother if her happiness depended on it.

She sighed. Her mate would loosen up more and more as time went on, she knew; old habits died hard. She was head over heels for Elijah, and she knew she did not have to convince him of that – it was just a matter of getting him to relinquish his hold on her a little bit. She was _in_ love with Elijah – but she _loved_ Kol. Their connection was never going to go away; all she had to do was make her lover see that, and recognize that her feelings for her sire had nothing to do with her feelings for him.

She was patient.

She sat up on the edge of the bed, studying the youngest of the Mikaelson brothers as he browsed lazily through his suitcase, tossing out things on the bed to wear. She ran her hands over a black leather jacket, the material supple and worn under her fingertips. A gift from her, she remembered, for Christmas nearly a decade ago. It was well used; it was obvious that he wore it often. She smiled at the thought.

"Will you fly out of Nice?" she asked him casually, picking a piece of fuzz from his shirt as he pulled on a pair of green boxer-briefs.

"Marseilles," he answered, slipping on his gold watch.

Elijah spoke, and the sound of his voice startled her; she had momentarily forgotten he was there. "And when does your flight leave?"

Kol checked his watch. "Two hours and fifteen minutes from now."

Elijah hummed thoughtfully. "The drive to Marseilles is approximately an hour and fifteen minutes. That gives you nearly an hour to spare." Elena glanced back at him curiously. He was staring at her heatedly, desire evident in his eyes. She was glad she was sitting – her knees went weak. She felt her mouth go dry as her mate slid up behind her, bringing his legs to either side of her and pulling her back flush against his chest. "A lot of things can be accomplished in an hour."

The answering smirk on Kol's face was positively sinful. She swallowed as her heart leapt into her throat and lust gripped her body in its clutches. Arousal pooled between her thighs. There was nothing quite like having them both at the same time.

"I might be convinced to stay a little longer," her sire responded slyly, dark eyes twinkling. She noticed the bulge in his boxers stand to attention.

Elena met her sire's gaze, her mouth parting in anticipation at the desire she saw blazing in his nearly black orbs. Elijah's hand skimmed up her thigh, and she shuddered.

Kol licked his lips; she followed the movement with her eyes. He gave her a predatory grin. "What exactly did you have in mind, brother?"

_**Fin**_

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**I hope you all enjoyed this story! Thanks so much for reading. **

**More stories to come soon! :D**

**xoxoxoxoxoxo**


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